The Journalist
by odjeseus
Summary: When a famous violinist named Levi Ackerman is playing in town, young journalist Eren Jaeger is sent to review his performance. While Eren is captivated by the violinist and the violinist likewise captivated, Eren delves into his past that his encounters with the violinist brings back to light. So, there will be smut later on. Just a warning. ;)
1. Chapter 1

**Hey guys! So this is my first long fic, let me know what you think! Warning, there will be smut later on.**

"Come on, Eren, it's a perfect article…" Eren's boss Hanji whined as she followed him around the cluttered journalist's office.

"No, Hanji, I already said no. I'm not going to sit around at a stupid classical concert and listen to some dried old fart play a hollow wooden box." Eren argued and uncapped a highlighter with maybe a little more force than was necessary. Hanji furrowed her brow.

"You have absolutely no idea who this guy is or what he does. Do you really think he would've gotten this famous if he weren't worth it? Seriously, Eren, come on..." Eren sighed.

"What part of I have 0 interest do you not understand? I'm working overtime as it is. Get someone else to go view this guy." Eren said and turned back to his desk, leaning over to highlight the name of some wanna-be chef. Eren ordinarily would never talk in such a way to his boss, but Hanji has known him since he was a little kid, being a friend of the family.

"Ereeeeeeeeeeeeeeen-" She whined and grabbed his arm. Eren snorted and shook her off, walking away.

"I said no. It's Christmas break, give me this round off. I don't want to watch some random violinist." He called over his shoulder, flipping his hair out of his face. Hanji sighed and glanced over, seeing Armin standing and watching their conversation quizzically.

"A violinist?" the blonde asked and cocked his head.

"Yeah," Hanji said. "Levi Ackerman."

Armin's jaw may as well have actually hit the floor. "Levi Ackerman?! He's in town?"

Hanji raised an eyebrow and chuckled at his innate enthusiasm. "Yeah, I take it you know of him?"

"Oh my god, he's only literally the best violinist of all time!" Armin gushed and his big blue eyes went wide. "He's my idol. My grandpa talks about him all the time, and I saw him in concert once. It was amazing…" He trailed off, losing himself in the thoughts of hero worship. Hanji laughed.

"If only I could get Eren to share your enthusiasm. I wonder why he's so against it?" She mused and put a finger on her chin.

"Well, his parents kind of forced him into playing classical music as a kid. He always hated it and they ruined any chance he ever had of liking it. As I recall he was a talented pianist though." Armin said, pushing up the pair of glasses on his petite nose.

"Hm. Weird. In all the time I've known him he's never mentioned it." Hanji said thoughtfully.

Armin shrugged. "Don't hold it against him. Eren's weird that way. He keeps strange things close to the vest and doesn't know how to keep things that should be kept kept." He smiled, and continued. "Well, I'd be more than happy to cover it for him. Levi Ackerman is my idol." The blonde's eyes hazed over and a goofy smile crossed his face, thinking about his hero.

Hanji chuckled, ruffling Armin's hair and ignoring the latter's grumble of disgruntlement. "Nah, don't worry about it. You're working enough as it is, and you're the youngest person here. And definitely the most talented." She added with a wink.

Armin smiled and blushed a little, rubbing the back of his neck awkwardly. "I wouldn't say that…"

Hanji rolled her eyes and ruffled his hair one more time before zooming away, leaving a grumbling Armin to leave to go home.


	2. Chapter 2

**Ayyyyy here we go, chapter 2. FYI I'm totally making this up as i go along. I have a basic plot line in mind, but i'm really just gonna see how it goes. Enjoy ^o^**

Eren sighed as he unlocked the door to the apartment that he and Armin shared. He dropped his bags on the floor and collapsed on the sofa, letting his arms fall and cover his face, letting out a breath with a huff. Hanji just couldn't give him a break. And he didn't want to see some stupid violinist anyway. The guy was probably in his late 70's with muttonchops and a mustache, shuffling onstage with a tailcoat older than Eren was. No thank you. He has enough to do, what with college alongside work.

Eren worked as a journalist in Hanji's office, who runs a local paper. He is very linguistically talented, and alongside Armin they make a wonderful team. Something that Hanji has not failed to notice and use, and the two teenagers probably work more than all the other paid workers in her office combined. But, Eren really enjoys it and it gives him a distraction from school. His parents were pushing him to apply for Julliard and become a professional pianist. Eren could have passed the entrance exam with flying colors, but his parents forced it down his throat so much that it became a torture for Eren quickly. He loves to play; music is something that resonates very deeply with him. But the endless shows and concerts and recordings… The practices until his fingers bled, the classes, lessons every day, not to mention teachers that were absolutely brutal and cruel. People looking at him like he was some animal to be ogled. It took the beauty out of it for Eren quickly. He soon began to hate lessons, and hate practicing, but he could never hate the piano.

Now that he's on his own, he thought as he casted a glance towards the small upright piano in the corner of the room, it's all his. The music that he adores so much will no longer be beaten and abused into him by cruel instructors and parents who only care about the trophy that comes with getting a child into Julliard.

The only real time he gets to play is when he's home alone. He's far too shy to play in front of people anymore. Music is something that's very deep and personal to him, and he's afraid that he can be read like an open book when he's playing. Every little thought and emotion that he's feeling can be read on his face.

He glanced at his watch; Armin won't be home for another 45 minutes. Perfect.


	3. Chapter 3

**awwww ok cute eren and armin moment :DDDDD also just a little insight on how eren feels when he plays the piano. i sorta channeled my own feelings when i play, especially that piece in particular. seriously, if you haven't listened to it, go. right now. Chopin Fantasie Impromptu. Go. anyway, on with the chapter.**

He stood and walked over, letting a hand drift over the old wood making up the top of the small piano. He's played on all kinds of pianos, all over the place. Steinways, Mason & Hamlin, Yamaha. You name it, Eren's played on it at some point. He can't help it, and a huge smile spread across his face as he dragged a hand over the worn ivory keys he knew so well. He sat down and let out a happy breath before settling his hands into position. He started up the beat in his head, and decided to warm up with the Chopin Fantasie Impromptu. ((If you haven't listened to it, go. Do it. Right now. It's one of my favorite pieces to play, personally.)) Before he knew it he was moving and playing, his fingers moving deftly over the keys as his body swayed in time to the music. He couldn't even remember when he closed his eyes or when he began to breath a little heavier. All he knew was when he hit that the final note and opened his eyes; he felt that euphoria that always came with playing music. The music kept playing in his head for a few moments before settling down and he just smiled to himself.

He had settled his hands into position to play again when he heard the key turn in the lock, and he jumped to stand, his hands behind his back as Armin entered the apartment. Eren looked like a little kid caught stealing cookies from the cookie jar. Armin chuckled.

"You don't need to act like I just caught you stealing, Eren" He said and rolled his eyes, closing the door behind him.

"I-I wasn't! You just surprised me, is all. You're home much earlier than I expected."

Armin nodded. "Yeah, Hanji let me go early. Did you have a productive day?" He asked as he hung his coat up and walked into the kitchen.

"I guess. I still need to read up on that wanna-be chef, what was his name? Oh, right, Marco."

"I wouldn't dismiss him so quickly. I've heard he's fantastic."

Eren looked at him in confusion. "How would you know? You're busy with that ballerina who broke her ankle."

Armin blushed slightly and mumbled, "Jean knows him."

A devious smirk crossed Eren's face and he sauntered over to his best friend, throwing an arm around his shoulders and cooing, "Ah, so Jean talks about him does he? Then I suppose you'd know all about him."

Armin groaned and covered his face with his hands. "Ugh, shut up," he said and shoved Eren off him. "He's just a friend, I swear."

"Mhm, then why're you blushing?"

"I-I'm not blushing! It's just you, you're in my personal space."

"You like it, don't lie."

"Oh my god you're such an ass."

"But a good looking one, though."

"Uuuuuuugh, Eren…" Armin groaned while Eren laughed.

"That's what you were saying last night."

The look on Armin's face was enough to keep tears of laughter in Eren's eyes for the next two hours.

Eventually Eren's continued jabs towards Armin's relationship with Jean led the poor blonde to give up on cooking dinner and just grab a laughing Eren and pull him out the door to go out for Chinese.

"Haha, you should've seen your face…" Eren said, wiping tears of laughter from his eyes as he stumbled drunkenly into the passenger seat of the car. Armin sighed, again, and stepped gracefully into the driver's side. He playfully whacked his friend over the head.

"Will you knock it off? We're going to get pulled over, you're acting like you're drunk." Armin said, though there was a kind laughter in his eyes.

Eren whined and pouted, looking at his friend and rubbing his head sullenly. "Fine… Where're we going?"

"I was thinking Chinese, does that work for you?"

He shrugged. "I don't care. Chinese sounds good."

Armin nodded and stuck the key in the ignition, the engine of the 2004 Chevy roaring to life with a little bit of trouble. Armin patted the dashboard of the old car gently and smiled at it. Eren watched the blonde and chuckled. "You act as though it's alive."

"Not everyone goes about their business with this intense fiery anger that you do." Armin frowned. Eren laughed and pulled his friend over, trapping him in a headlock and ruffling his hair. Immediately there was a squeak of protest from the headlocked, and he scrambled to get free. Eventually the stronger of the two let him go and he sat back against the driver's seat with a huff, fixing his red face and his wrinkled hair. "What was that for?!" He exclaimed, still fixing the messy rifts in his hair. Eren gave him a cheesy grin and answered in a falsetto mother-tone.

"I didn't like your tone."

Armin rolled his eyes. "Whatever, _mom_." Eren chuckled and sat back in his seat, as Armin gently pressed down on the gas and moved their old car forward.


	4. Chapter 4

**Wow I'm on a roll tonight. ok last update for today i promise i need to focus on hw. thanks for all the wonderful reads and reviews! they really do mean a lot, thanks so much!**

"They get it wrong every time…" Eren sighed as he poked at his chicken forlornly. Armin shrugged.

"Maybe if you didn't start yelling at them in German they'd be more likely to succumb your request."

"What do you want me to do? That guy gave me the wrong chicken on purpose."

"I highly doubt that, Eren," Armin chided and started the ignition again. "And even so, how do you expect shouting at them in a language you _know_ they don't understand to help things?" He looked over at his friend with a raised eyebrow. Eren looked down and started mumbling to himself, even he can't deny the logic. Armin chuckled. "Besides, is it really even that bad?" He asked, his eyes softening slightly.

"No…" Eren mumbled, looking down at his chicken. Armin could've sworn he heard something along the lines of "It's actually really good…" but Eren would never admit it. He rolled his eyes and punched the radio on as he pulled out of the parking lot.

The gentle sound of a guitar filled the small car, and soon Ed Sheeran's god-like voice cut through the soft silence. Armin tapped the steering wheel in time to the beat and began to hum along, Eren chuckling. Armin looked over at him crossly. "What? I love Ed Sheeran."

"I know, same, it was just funny watching you." Eren said, giggling slightly. Armin made a "tsk" sound and kept driving in silence for a little while. After a few minutes of comfortable silence, Armin asked, "So, have you decided what to do about that violinist?"

"UUUUUUUUUUGGGGHHHHHH…" Eren dramatically groaned and flopped back in his seat. "I already said, I'm not. Going. To. Do. It. What part of that do you two not understand?" Armin flinched slightly at the harsh tone and continued,

"W-Well, I just think it'd be a great opportunity for you. Either way, you never know. You've steered as far away from the classical music community as you could since you moved out. Aren't you even the slightest bit curious? You're extremely talented, and I know you enjoy at least some parts of it, even though you won't admit it." Eren crossed his arms and looked away from his blonde friend.

"I just don't want too, ok, what's wrong with that?"

"But why, though, what is it you're so afraid of?"

"Just leave me alone, Armin, ok?!" Eren finished angrily and turned away. Armin looked down and let his hair cover the majority of his face. He pulled into the parking lot and they stepped into the lobby of their small apartment building.

"I'm sorry for asking, Eren, I didn't mean to upset you…" Armin apologized softly, shaking slightly from the effort of not to cry. One of Armin's past relationships, with an asshole named Reiner, was abusive. He shouted all the time and hit Armin frequently. Sometimes Eren forgets how much it bothers Armin when he shouts. He sees his friend's smaller form shaking as they step into the apartment, and he immediately pulled him in for a hug.

"Hey, it's alright..." He whispered, hugging him tightly. "I shouldn't have shouted. I'm sorry, Ar." Armin held himself tighter to Eren, sniffling and looking up with a small smile on his face.

"It's fine. I'm fine. Just, memories, ya know?" He said, wiping his nose with a sleeve.

"Yeah, I know." Eren smiled and hugged his friend one more time before letting him go and plopping himself down on the couch and patting the seat next to him. "Hey, baby," Eren said with a ridiculous eyebrow-wiggle, "Netflix and chill?" Armin gave a shaky laugh.

"Oh my god you're ridiculous." He giggled slightly and allowed Eren to pull him down on the sofa to marathon Big Bang Theory, Armin's favorite show.


	5. Chapter 5

**alriiiiiiight so you meet levi in this chapter. please read and review ^o^**

Levi Ackerman cursed as the peg on his violin slipped yet again, the G-string once again pulling out with a pathetic little squeak. As he struggled to make it stick, his boss, Erwin, stood behind him and chuckled as he watched the much smaller violinist ramble and curse to himself.

"Don't just stand there, asshole," Levi snapped, his thin raven hair flowing in front of his face.

"I was going to offer to help you, but now I see clearly where your loyalties lie." Erwin said with an exuberant eyebrow raised and he walked back over to where the couch was in the green room and sat down. Levi stood up straight for a moment to stretch his back and look around. He sighed and looked around the green room. They were currently backstage in Lincoln Center, at a dress rehearsal for their show the next night. They were placed in what's called the green room, which basically is just a fancier name for "common backstage area for performers." Levi had spent a lot of time in green rooms over his years, and this one was not particularly enjoyable. It was small, with manila wallpaper and a small Yamaha upright in the corner. It had a few framed photos of famous people that had performed there, and on the other side through a doorway it had some changing rooms with some lit mirrors for some of the more physical performers, such as dancers and the like.

" _Fuck,_ " Levi muttered. 'Fucking idiot,' he thought as he glared in Erwin's direction. Suddenly the idea hit him, and he glanced up to his case where he knew some peg wax lay. His gaze caught on Erwin, holding up said peg wax with a knowing smirk on his face. Levi grit his teeth before moving to take the peg wax from his superior. Right before he could reach it, however, it was moved and held far over Levi's head.

"Ah ah ah, Levi, what's the magic word?" Erwin teased and wiggled the wax over Levi. Levi growled and made a small swing for it, only pissing himself off further when it was just pulled out of his reach yet again.

"Go fuck yourself."

"I was looking for 'please,' but close enough." Erwin said and handed the wax to the shorter. He snatched it from his hand and glared at his annoyingly intelligent boss before retreating to the other side of the room to get to work on the peg of his violin. He sat down and brought it into his lap, pulling out the peg to apply the wax. His gaze softened slightly upon looking at the delicate instrument, and he gently pressed down on the peg and he felt it smoothen and become more manageable under that wax's effect. He smirked to himself in satisfaction.

' _Fuck yeah. I'm the best.'_ He thought to himself, skillfully putting the peg back into its rightful place with smirk still present. He nodded when the peg moved and stayed where it's supposed to, and he lifted the violin up to his shoulder and took the bow in his thin fingers as he pressed the tip of the bow down onto the A-string. Wonderful, it was still in tune, somehow. Whatever, it made Levi's life easier. He moved on to the D-string, playing it in harmony with the A-string. Damn, a little flat. He made quick work of that, and moved almost nervously to the G-string. When it was in a perfect fifth with the D-string he did a mental fist-pump. He tuned the E-string with the A to finish it off, and he looked over at Erwin, who was watching him. At a nod from the blonde, they both turned towards the door and walked out. They followed the thin, winding, grey-painted hallway until they reached the folds of the stage. Erwin stood back and watched almost proudly as the smaller turned his back, squared his shoulders, his violin held elegantly from his right hand, and strode out on stage against the blinding lights.


	6. Chapter 6

**Ok so a lot happens in this chapter. It's important, so don't skip. enjoy, and sorry for the lack of updating recently. School and midterms have been hella stressful, especially since i'm loaded with AP classes.**

Eren and Armin laughed hysterically as they drove home in their beaten up Chevy.

"A-And then, haha, he said, ha, w-wait for it…" Eren said, wiping a tear of laughter from his eyes as he paused for dramatic affect. "JOHN CENAAAAA!" Even though this was easily the 500th time they've both heard that stupid Internet meme, they still burst out into fits of laughter like 6th graders. But hey, leave them alone. Let them have their fun.

"I-I swear, it just gets funnier," Armin said, slowly catching breathes in between laughter spasms. Eren grinned like an idiot and nodded, happy so far with the day's events.

' _It's been a good day,'_ Eren thinks, ' _Hanji stopped bugging me about that violinist, that chef named Marco apparently just won a big competition, so business for me, and that lady in the cafeteria told me it was ok when she gave me an extra cookie by accident. Today was a good day.'_ He mused, happy in his little world, laughing about stupid jokes with his best friend. He hadn't felt this happy in a while, and boy did it feel good. And now he was going to go home to his apartment and marathon Mel Brooks movies with Armin. He grinned to himself, but that grin slowly fell off of his face when he saw his usual parking space occupied by an all too familiar dark blue Bentley. ' _No… They can't be here…'_ Eren's thoughts panicked and he circled the lot looking for another spot. Armin stopped giggling when he noticed the look on his friend's now pale face.

"Eren? What's wrong?" He asked confusedly, wondering why they had not parked already.

" _My parents…"_ Eren whispered, fear slowly clouding his eyes. Armin's eyes widened almost unnoticeably before filling with worry for his friend. Eren parked the car, and stepped out slowly, his hands quivering. "Why are they here, Armin… What do they want..." He whispered, Armin quickly coming around from the side of the car to grasp his friend's hands.

"Eren, look at me…" He commanded softly, and the brunette obeyed and looked at his smaller friend through his bangs. The sharp blue in the blonde's eyes was almost calming. Armin rubbed small circles on Eren's wrist. "It'll be ok. Listen to me. It'll be ok." Armin said quietly, his gaze never leaving his friend's face. He knew just how terrified he was of his parents. The parents that never loved him except for the talent he bore. The parents that would stop continuing his education and supporting him if they knew that he was gay. But Eren himself didn't even know he was gay at this point. The mental abuse, the sometimes-physical abuse, that they put him through for all his childhood, now returning to manifest itself in his home. No. Eren couldn't take that. He couldn't see them. "It'll be ok…" Armin whispered one last time before letting go of Eren's wrist again. "Now, lets go on inside." He said with a small smile, gripping Eren's shoulder. Eren gulped, nodded and stood up straight. Armin was right. Everything would be ok.

The walk up to the door seemed like the shortest walk of his life, and he took a deep hesitant breathe before placing a shaking hand on the doorknob, pausing for a second and hearing the tinkling of a piano from the inside. It was the third movement of Beethoven's Moonlight Sonata. Eren only knew one person other than himself who had enough skill to play that piece. It was his mother. He cast a fleeting look at Armin, who nodded, and Eren swallowed and opened the door. His parents both immediately stood up, and faced him. He looked away, not meeting their eyes. His well dressed parents faced him with cold looks, and Armin felt Eren tense, but he spoke.

"Mom. Dad. This is a surprise." His father sneered.

"It's Mr. Jaeger, _boy_. You know better than that." Eren looked down submissively.

"Y-Yes sir." Armin looked between the two carefully. It had been a while since he had seen Eren's parents. As far as he could tell, they looked almost exactly the same. Except they had gained a few more grey hairs and the lines around their faces had gotten more pronounced. Their eyes, however, still held the same cold, distant, cruel look. Even Eren's mother, who Armin had always taken to be the softer of the two, even if not by much, had seemed to grow colder. Like Eren's father.

"Sit down." Grisha commanded, entirely ignoring Armin. Armin took that as a cue to leave, and left to his bedroom. Eren's heart pounded at seeing his friend exit. Now he was all alone. Swallowing his anger that he was just commanded to sit down in his own home, Eren obeyed, sitting in an armchair diagonal to the couch that his parents occupied. The room was silent for a minute at least, and you could cut the tension with a knife. Eren could feel it pressuring in all around, until he mentally startled at the sound of his father's voice breaking the silence.

"So… What do you plan on doing with your life?" The cold, smooth, articulate voice of Grisha Jaeger cut across the silence.

Eren bowed his head and refused to make eye contact, and answered, "College. Working for Hanji. Living."

"Is that so? Do you know why we're here?"

"No." A sneer pulled up the side of his father's mouth, as if he sensed and enjoyed the effect he had on his son.

"We got a letter from the University the other day…" ' _Oh no…'_ "…with an interesting fact." ' _Fuck…_ ' "How are you doing in your classes?"

"Alright."

" _Liar."_ His father hissed and slammed a piece of paper down on the table in front of his son. Eren's eyes held no emotion; he was receding back into the state that he lived in for all the years he was around his father. The piece of paper was Eren's report card for this marking quarter. A bunch of C's and one or two D's jumped out at Eren, except for the A+ in English Lit. and Journalism. "How do you explain this, boy?" His father snarled and leaned forward in his seat.

"It looks like a report card to me, sir." _'I'm done...'_

" _Don't take that tone with me."_ Grisha said and stood up. "What do you plan on doing with your life? You've been sitting here, reveling in our money, doing absolutely _nothing."_ Eren flinched at the harsh tone, but continued, his voice shaking.

"Just because I'm not studying in Julliard doesn't mean I'm doing nothing. I want to major in Journalism, and work for Hanji full time." ' _You don't control me anymore...'_

"How dare you…" His father replied and stood, walking briskly over to Eren and grabbing his arm to pull him to his feet. "You know where you should be! Why didn't you go to Julliard? You could be even more famous than Zimmerman, or Rubenstein! But no, you decide to stay and write for some lowlife newspaper! That's what we want for you!"

Eren seethed, his anger growing. He looked down, his figure shaking. "That's not what you want for me…" ' _Let me tell you something...'_ Eren said quietly.

"Excuse me?" Grisha replied in a dangerous tone. "What are you implying, _boy?_ "

"Eren…" He whispered, looking up and meeting his father's eyes for the first time. "My name is Eren, and you will use it."

The look in the cold eyes of Grisha Jaeger could best be described as shock, then quickly filled with anger. "You…"

"No, you will listen to me!" Eren said and shoved his father's hand off of him. "You don't control my life anymore, I don't belong to you anymore, I'm not your lackey anymore! You don't want what's best for me; you only want the attention that comes with having a prodigy child! That's all you ever want!" Eren shouted and took a step back, his eyes filling with tears.

"You disrespectful piece of shit…" Grisha snarled and advanced on his son. "You've been wasting the gift your mother and I have given you, and you dare accuse me of such a thing?"

"Yes, I do, I'm not a fucking child anymore, _Grisha,_ and I'm tired of being held under your damn shoe all the time!"

" _Watch your tongue."_ Grisha spat and took another step towards his retreating son. "How dare you speak to me in such a way? The father who sired you and raised you and brought you into this world?"

Eren gave a cold laugh. "Raise? You call beating a child and screaming at them raising? You gave me about as much love as a doorknob." Eren said with disdain, looking upon his father with disgust.

"You ungrateful insolent child! What do you know of the world? You and your pathetic little faggot of a friend know _nothing."_ At the jab directed at Armin Eren snapped. He fell silent and looked at the floor.

" _Get out of my house."_ He whispered, his shoulders shaking with poorly concealed rage.

"What's the matter, does that word bother you?" Grisha sneered. "That good for nothing friend of yours is exactly that. A _faggot."_

"Get out of my house!" Eren shouted and he snarled, taking a step forward.

"Your mother and I are not supporting you anymore! You are on your own! _Learn some respect!"_ The older Jaeger shouted as he raised his hand to his already flinching son.

Armin could hear the smack and the yelp that left Eren as his father's hand connected to his face and the Jaeger couple stormed out of the apartment.


	7. Chapter 7

**hello all my lovely readers how are you today**

Armin flinched as he heard the door slam so hard that it rattled. He waited a moment before exiting his room, and his heart nearly shattered at the sight of his friend huddled on the floor, a hand over his injured face. So Armin did what Armin always does when someone is upset. He makes tea. He quickly shuffles over to the stove and puts a pot of water on. Then he immediately walks back, kneeling down by Eren and putting an arm around his shoulders.

"Hey, Eren… Are you alright?" Armin whispered, gently rubbing his friend's back. Eren looked up, his bright cerulean eyes red and murky, and the fire that was usually in them was gone.

"A-Armin…" Eren whimpered before throwing himself at Armin in a hug, the latter accepting it willingly. He remembered many times like this before, where a fight between Eren and his parents would leave him so emotionally broken that all he could do was just curl up next to Armin until the emotions faded. Armin readily welcomed these hugs; he'd do anything to make sure his friend was ok. And on top of that… Armin had always nursed a slight crush on Eren. Even with occasional crushes here and there, Armin could never fully get over his friend. So, any kind of hugs or cuddles Eren needed, Armin would give in a heartbeat.

Armin squeezed his arm, and Eren sniffed and shakily got up, understanding Armin's message and moving to the couch. Armin sat down and opened his arms, which Eren willingly crawled into. He immediately let loose a waterfall of tears, and held himself closely to Armin like a little kid, sheltering his bruised face.

"Shh…" Armin whispered, "It's alright… It's alright…" He continued rubbing his back, stroking his hair, and whispering condolences into his ear as the teapot cried, ignored, in the background.


	8. Chapter 8

**Sorry for the lack of updating, but here we go.**

Eren looked like a zombie. His face was pale, and the bruise that his father's strike left on his skin stood out all the more. The spark in his eyes was dull, and his hair looked lank and lifeless. He didn't know what he would do anymore. Without his parent's financial support he only had about 2 more month's worth of savings to pay for rent, forget about school. He sighed and sat down at his desk, putting his head in his hands and massaging his scalp. If only he got paid… If Hanji paid him as a full time job it might be enough to keep up the rent if he took out some student loans. Or maybe if he just dropped out of school all together. He didn't really know what he wanted to do. At least he didn't need to worry about what his parents would say anymore. He let out a dark laugh as he realized that. Armin was far too smart to be working a full time job outside of school. He had way too much work to do, and Eren couldn't and wouldn't burden him with rent.

He felt the air swish behind him and he felt a familiar arm wrap around his shoulders. "Hey, Eren!" Hanji greeted cheerfully before catching sight of his face, her eyes growing wide behind her ridiculous goggles she always wore. "Jesus Christ, what happened to you?"

He simply gave her a blank look, not having the energy to explain, and Hanji's heart broke at seeing the normally bright and energized green eyes before her empty and broken. Eren sighed, and looked down as he muttered, "I got a visit from my parents yesterday." Hanji gasped silently and her eyes filled with sadness and confusion.

"What happened, baby?" Hanji asked before pulling Eren in for a hug, which he returned willingly as she petted his hair. Eren, whilst trying to hold back tears, briefly explained the argument between him and his parents, and explaining a bit of his musical background and their frustration with him not going to study music. He finished by saying how they'd cut off their financial support, and how his father hit him on their way out of the door. Hanji, for once, to her credit, listened silently and glared daggers at anyone who looked at them oddly, sending them scurrying away. She just listened, shocked at the things that Jaeger senior, whom she'd known for a very long time, said to his son who was one of the kindest and genuine people she'd ever met.

"Eren…" she said softly, and grasped his shoulders so he'd meet her eyes. "I am willing to help you out, but I need you to do something for me as well. I do not have the money to support you, but I'd be willing to take you on as an employee." Eren's head shot up, and he looked at Hanji with a shocked look.

"R-Really? You'd be willing to do that?"

"Of course I would, you run half this office anyway." Hanji replied with a cheeky grin and she ruffled his hair. "But I want you to do something in order for me to give you this job."

"Of course, anything!"

"View Levi Ackerman's performance." Eren's eyes closed and his brows furrowed as this offer was made yet again. Then he thought, he needed this job. He needed it badly.

" _Fine._ I'll do it." He said, forcing a smile onto his face. Hanji grinned again and pulled Eren into another hug, which he returned gratefully. Hanji did a little mental fist pump. No one was better suited for this job than Eren.


	9. Chapter 9

**Wow ok this was beyond hysterical to write, I was laughing out loud as I was typing this. Enjoy the Jean time everyone**

"You took up the job?!" Armin exclaimed on their drive home.

"Yeah, I didn't have much of a choice. I need money, Ar. _We_ need money." Armin's eyes softened as he glanced briefly over at his friend.

"I could've gotten a job, you know."

"No, you really couldn't. You have much more on your plate than I do. You know I don't really care about school; it doesn't do anything for me. You're a genius, its way more important that you focus and I worry about rent, just like I always have." Armin sighed and shook his head, having lost this argument with his friend more than once before.

"Whatever you say, Eren. Anyway, do you promise to take pictures?" Armin implored with big puppy eyes. Eren laughed and ruffled his hair.

"Of course. As long as you promise not to jack off to them." Armin's eyes went wide and he blushed slightly, red coloring the bridge of his nose.

"E-Eren! Of course I wouldn't!" Eren rolled his eyes.

"Sure, whatever you say. I bet the guy is like, in his 70's anyway."

Armin, being smarter than he really let on, merely smirked to himself and replied, "Totally." He'd let Eren find out for himself what Levi Ackerman really looked like. They pulled into the parking lot and bantered back and forth on their walk up to their apartment, and Armin unlocked the door and entered, stepping inside the apartment.

" _Hey babe."_ Came a deep seductive voice from the darkness. Armin's eyes widened and he stopped dead, turning on the lights to reveal Jean, sprawled across the sofa in a Santa hat, and nothing else but Santa-patterned boxers. Armin froze, absolutely dumbstruck and not expecting that in the slightest.

"Armin? Did I hear something? Why'd you stop?" Eren questioned in and peaked around a stunned Armin to see Jean and his face widened in a cat-ate-the-canary grin, and he snickered.

"J-Jaeger?! What the hell, Armin, you said you'd be home alone tonight!" Jean exclaimed, jumping up and trying to find something to cover himself with little success.

"I-I was talking about tomorrow night, reread your texts!" Armin stammered and covered his bright red face, and Eren sauntered into the room, laughing hysterically.

"W-What the _fuck_ , man," he said in between fits of laughter, dodging the few pillows that Jean threw at him. "You know, I actually forgot it was Christmas break, thanks for the reminder!" He wiped a tear from his eye before catching a pillow, clutching it for support.

" _S-Shut the fuck up!"_ Jean growled, his entire face red and his eyes darted back and forth as he whipped off the Santa hat embarrassedly.

"Well, Armin," Eren said as he threw an arm around Armin's shoulders and leaned on him slightly for support in between fits of laugher, "You sure found yourself a good one," He finished as he began laughing again. "And you still say you're not in a relationship?" Eren teased and poked Armin's cheek as the latter blushed harder and hid his face.

"Shut up, asshole, you're gay as shit!" Jean chided from the other side of the room, having found a blanket to hide under.

"I-I am not! What makes you think I'm gay?" Eren replied, his face reddening slightly. Come to think of it, Eren never really thought about his sexuality. He always sort of presumed he was straight, but he never did anything with a girl to prove him right or wrong. He didn't really care; he figured it'd come to him in time. But honestly, he'd never admit it first to this idiot.

Jean rolled his eyes. "Come on, dude, you're seriously not admitting it to yourself? My gaydar goes insane whenever you're around." He whirled a finger above his head to represent an antenna to prove his point.

"Jean," Armin scolded lightly and walked over to reprimand his boyfriend. "Don't say things like that. He'll come out when he's ready."

"W-What?! Armin, I won't come out because I'm not gay!" Eren argued stubbornly.

Armin smiled. "Don't worry. I meant that either way, because you've never told me you're straight either. Take it how you will." Armin finished and simply walked away, leaving a Jean and an Eren to glare at each other. That didn't last long, however, because upon looking at Jean for more than 5 seconds, Eren couldn't help it and burst out laughing once again, leading an irritated Jean to whack him repeatedly with a pillow before pulling on his sweatpants and leaving.


	10. Chapter 10

**Hello my lovely readers i am sorry for the lack of updating, I've been dealing with some shit. Anyway, here we go.**

"Ooooook…" Eren said to himself as he let out a breath. Today was the day he was going to view Levi Ackerman. And step foot inside the world of classical music for the first time since he was 12. You're probably wondering, what's the issue? Why is this such a problem? Well, you see, this hall in particular where Levi was performing, Eren had performed in as well. It was absolutely crawling with scouts who were sure to recognize him, and try to drag him back into the world of classical music again. On top of that, Eren remembered very well the hustle and bustle of concert night. He hated those halls, hated spectators, and above all, hated memories. That is exactly what this concert would bring back. However, Eren knew he needed to set his priorities in place, and he knew exactly where they were. He had to make money for his household, and survive. As much as he hated this, it was necessary. Damn Hanji, for making him do this. ' _Well,"_ he thought to himself, ' _She is running a business; she's not a charity. But still, did she absolutely have too?'_ He groaned and glanced at his closet. Did he even own a suit? I guess it's time to find out. " _For Frodo,"_ he whispered to himself, quoting the Lord of the Rings, and dove into the gaping chasm that is his closet. After momentarily loosing sight of sunlight, and finding things he didn't even know he owned, he burst through the wall of clothes holding a grey button-down, dress pants, and a suit jacket. He glanced down at them and had to give them credit for not being nearly as wrinkly as he thought they'd be.

He laid them out on his bed, smoothing out all the creases and marveling at how awesome he was that he found them in the havoc of a closet. He couldn't remember the last time he wore a suit, and he chuckled darkly to himself when he remembered that the last time he wore a suit was most likely the last concert he did. After battling mentally with himself and several heavy sighs, he slid off his black Pierce the Veil t-shirt and slid on the button-down. He cursed as it took him several tries to get all the buttons buttoned correctly, but he smirked at his reflection in the mirror in satisfaction. He pulled on the jacket and ran a hand through his messy brown hair, to make it look windswept and sexy. He looked at himself for a moment, wondering what was missing. ' _Ah, right, you need a tie, dumbass,_ ' he thought and shook his head. After glancing nervously at his closet again and deciding he'd rather not risk it, he walked and knocked on the door to Armin's room.

"Come in, Eren, I'm just playing a game," Armin called, never taking his eyes off the screen of his DSi. ((A/N: Awwwww he's such a dork I can't omfg ok sorry for interrupting continue)) His brows were furrowed in concentration and his tongue poked out of the corner of his mouth as his thumbs battled furiously.

"Hey, Ar, do you have a tie I can borrow?" Eren asked, stepping into the room.

"A tie? What for?" Armin responded and took his eyes briefly off the screen to glance at his friend. Immediately all the blood rushed to his face as he blushed like a fire engine, and all of a sudden he couldn't take his eyes off the extremely sexy-looking boy in front of him.

"Hey, Ar, you good?" Eren asked and waved a hand in front of Armin's face. Armin could smell the cologne he was wearing through that one motion. Damn, it was good.

"A-A tie? Um, yeah, sure…" Armin said, cursing himself internally as his voice stuttered. He bit his lip as he got up and turned around, his back now facing the clueless brunette. Eren really did look good in a suit, with his messy brown hair, lean, strong figure, and carefree expression, it made Armin nearly pop a hard-on right then and there. ((A/N: sexy eren in a suit it's ok I didn't need that blood anyway)) Armin opened his closet, and Eren peered in slightly from behind him, amazed at how organized Armin's closet was. Armin pulled out a dark blue tie and kept his gaze relatively low as he turned around and handed the tie to Eren. Eren, being absolutely clueless as to his friend's crush, gave him a cheeky grin and ruffled his hair, earning a squeak from the other.

"Thanks, dude." Eren said and was about to walk out, before he paused. "Um… How do you tie a tie?…" He asked sheepishly and scratched behind his head. "You'd think I'd remember, but I guess not."

"O-Oh, it's ok, I can do it for you." Armin offered, before realizing how close he'd have to get to Eren and he felt his face heat up again. Goddamn hormones. He should've thought that offer through. Eren nodded and stepped up to his friend. Armin blushed furiously and hesitated a moment, before wrapping his arms around Eren's neck to get the tie around. He could feel the warmth from Eren's body… ' _Armin, stop, right now, stop.'_ He told himself as he tried to keep his hands from shaking.

"Armin, seriously, you ok?" Eren's voice asked right next to his ear.

Armin flinched slightly, and replied, "Y-Yeah, I'm good. There, you're done." So he may have rushed a bit with tying the tie, but he needed to keep his cool. Eren stepped back and admired his tie. He grinned at his reflection and gave the poor blushing blonde a quick hug before stepping out.

"Later, Ar, time to go. Wish me luck," he said rather sullenly and he opened the front door and left the apartment. Armin sat down with a huff and put his head in his hands. This isn't good. His feelings for Eren are growing dramatically. He was not expecting to see him in a suit, good lord. He needs to relax, he's with Jean. He likes Jean, but he can never get over Eren. He sighed and picked up his DSi from where he dropped it in shock. His character died, no surprise. He shook his head and hit restart, preparing for a long night of games and snacking.


	11. Chapter 11

**heyo here we go, the pivotal chapter is up next. I'm writing it right now, omfg the drama lol anyways thanks for sticking with me this long. holy shit I'm going on 600 views. fuck. thanks, I'm really not sure how to respond to that XD**

The ride to the concert hall was uneventful, Eren double-checked everything that Hanji gave him and told him again in his mind. He had the pass to go backstage, tickets for a front row seat, and his 'dazzling good looks' as Hanji said. He shook his head and stepped out of the car, handing his key to the valet and walking up the crowded New York City streets. He stopped in front of the large concert hall, and looked up. He admired the elegant sculpting of the building, it really was beautiful. He stepped inside and wrinkled his nose at all the froofed up old ladies and men who were walking with their noses in the air. He hated all the pomp and circumstance; it was a big part of what made him hate the classical music community. You can never just make music for the sake of music; it was so competitive and so… fake. He smirked, listening to all the musical commentary and just thinking about how if the "messy looking young man who obviously knew nothing about music," as he heard one of the old ladies say to her friend, enter the musical discussion, they'd be crushed by the overwhelming knowledge he possessed. He pushed his way through the crowded lobby and entered the hall. He looked around, taking a moment to remember how the acoustics were in here. As he recalled, they were pretty good. He glanced up at the Steinway on the stage, probably for this guy's accompanist. Damn, that was a nice piano. He sat in his seat, feeling the red cushion sink beneath his weight. This should be interesting, he can't remember if he ever attended any concerts and watched from the audience. He remembered specifically what he played. Chopin's Ballade No. 3. He smirked and closed his eyes, moving ever so slightly as the melody began to play in his head. It was so fucking cool. He looked around nervously and sat a little lower, shielding his eyes with his hair. He'd spotted a few scouts _already,_ but fortunately none of them spotted him. Yet. He hoped. He flipped through the program idly as he waited. Not a bad program. A lot of Chopin, but for piano you can never have enough Chopin. A few Rachmaninoffs, and a Beethoven. He chuckled, wondering if Jean was over there at his apartment right now. Armin did say he'd be home alone tonight. He put his hand over his mouth to muffle the inevitable laughter from yesterday's events, catching a glare from a few snooty older women as they sat down beside him.

He rolled his eyes and leaned his head on his hand, listening to the excited buzz filling the hall. This guy must really be something. Last time he heard this much excitement before a concert it was when he was accompanying Yo-Yo Ma. That was a hell of a concert, and they went out for ice cream afterwards. Not many people can say they had ice cream with Yo-Yo Ma. Suckers. Suddenly the lights dimmed, interrupting Eren's train of thought, and the crowd went silent.


	12. Chapter 12

**muahahahaha ok here we go**

Levi Ackerman looked at his reflection in the small mirror backstage. Straightening his black tie over his white button down, he sighed and looked down at the stained white marble tabletop. Another show. Another night. Another year's worth of money made in a single concert. He truly loved to play; in fact, it was the only thing that kept him sane. Bored, he picked up his violin from where it lay in the corner. It really was a beautiful instrument, there was nothing like it. It made Levi feel… human. There were times in his life where he was struggling, struggling to the point where he couldn't discern right from wrong, light from dark. Music, in Levi's mind, was one of the few things that really separated man from animals. It was one of the few distinctions that set human beings above the rest. It made Levi feel alive, all the emotions, be they good or bad, come flowing through his music. The smooth wooden fingerboard, barely noticeable under the hard callouses built on the tips of his long slender fingers. The elegant scroll, holding the four strings. It always amazed Levi how that one small hollow fragile instrument, which could burst at any moment if you simply pressed it the wrong way, is withstanding at the very least 50 pounds of pressure all the time. For someone always being a little on the shorter side, as Levi is, it's nice to know that size doesn't matter. That tiny instrument, so fragile, is actually withstanding an insane amount of pressure. He looked at the instrument in his hands and smirked at it. He gave it kudos in his mind for staying so strong. He took inspiration from that, and grew stronger because of it in his darkest moments.

He glanced around, and saw no one. He raised an eyebrow, perturbed, as he could've sworn Erwin was here before, but no matter. The less he got to see of his bushy-browed boss and accompanist the better. He raised his violin to his shoulder and sighed in contempt as he ran his fingers up and down the strings of the ancient instrument. He absolutely adored his violin. It was very old, originally made in 1842 in France, his home country. He hasn't been there since his last concert there, maybe a year ago. But instruments are sort of like wine in that regard, they age, and they age for the better. Generally, the older an instrument the nicer it is. He grabbed his bow from his case and pressed it down on the string, not moving it, but to test the tension. Dammit, it needs to be tightened more. He tightened it and pressed it on the string, smirking in satisfaction when it was perfect. He took a deep breath and was about to play, when he heard the door open and glared at Erwin for interrupting his little serene moment. He chuckled.

"Don't look at me like that, it's time to go."

Levi let out a little exasperated sigh, and nodded. "Alright. Let's get this shitshow over with." Erwin smiled at his friend's use of language, but he knew Levi didn't really mean it. Levi, in his heart of hearts, loved playing and performing with all his heart. Where Levi ran into trouble was the people aspect of it. He hated people, but loved to perform. Unfortunately for Levi, those two traits don't mix very well. Erwin clasped a hand on Levi's shoulder, chuckling a little as Levi glanced up at him with a mixture of shock and disgust as he pulled away from his friend's hand. "Don't fucking touch me, what's wrong with you?" He said and straightened his tie, glaring at him.

"I was just trying to encourage you, but I guess you don't need it." Erwin said, a smile in his eyes.

"When the fuck have I ever needed encouragement? This is my profession, you know." Levi said and turned away.

Erwin sighed. Friendly commodities were lost on Levi. Oh well. He walked and waited, standing in the wings of the stage, listening to the uneducated banter of the stage crew. God, Levi hated people. Erwin bit back another chuckle as they saw Levi coming, and practically feeling the death aura surrounding Levi they backed away quickly, leaving him a path. Erwin looked at them apologetically, not sure what to do about his friend's mood but go with it and smile.

Levi let his violin dangle elegantly from his right hand, letting his bow hand from his left, squaring his shoulders and his eyes growing serious and determined, the light shining in his storm-grey eyes that only comes with a performance. He nodded to Erwin, a smirk playing his features, and strode out on stage as the blinding stage lights melted the audience members faces into darkness. The second his black dress shoe hit the visible part of the wooden stage, the hall erupted in cheers. ' _Fucking idiots, I haven't even played yet,'_ he thought, giving the crowd a small smirk. He felt the vibration of the stage as Erwin stepped out behind him. Damn, he loved this. He strode out into the center of the stage, facing the crowd fully as he let his eyes wander over the crowd. He saw old ladies, more old ladies, and more old ladies. With their old men husbands. As much as he loved to perform, he hated that demographic. If only they knew he was gay, than all of a sudden his music would have much less value to them, because of their stuck-up, prejudiced ways. God, he hated people like that. Which meant like 99% of his fan base. Whoops. He was about to pause in his looking over of the crowd and begin the show when a pair of bright green eyes caught his from the front row. A kid? What the hell was he doing here? And in the front row, at that. Those green eyes watched him curiously, with a fair bit of surprise radiating from his wide-eyed expression and slightly parted lips. Now that Levi looked closer, he realized, holy shit he was hot. Remembering he was onstage, he shook his head, clearing his raven hair from his eyes as Erwin sat at the piano bench. Preparing his right hand into bow position, he gracefully lifted the bow to his string, his violin hanging from his shoulder loosely at this point. At a nod from Erwin, he played an A on the piano. Levi played his own A, starting at the tip of the bow. He quickly moved on, once tuning his A to Erwin's. His violin was in tune. Showtime.

Eren Jaeger could only stare. Holy shit. This guy, this midget, was this world-renowned violinist? He looked barely out of high school, forget have already graduated Julliard. He was hot. Eren felt his face heat up, and cursed internally. What the hell was wrong with him? This is so unlike him. He's never had a crush before, and this guy must be the opening act. There's no way that _this guy_ could be the guy Armin was waxing poetic about. He gulped as Levi's eyes worked their way through his audience, stopping on him. His eyes, he'd never seen eyes that color before. Whatever, this guy was probably an asshole anyway. But that didn't mean he wasn't a hot asshole. Eren looked over his accompanist. This guy looked like he had fingers that could crush an infant's skull without any trouble. Looking down at his own hands, he recognized the differences. His hands were smaller and thinner, rather like Levi's now that he looked. He raised a brow, looking forward to how the bushy-browed blonde would play. However, when the petite violinist pressed the bow to the string, Eren totally forgot the pianist was there.

Levi internally smirked, recognizing the thick tension in the room. He had them in the palm of his hand. He began with his favorite piece, deviating from the program. It was a piece by Kreisler, Praeludium and Allegro. ((A/N: I'VE PLAYED THIS PIECE AND ITS SO FUCKING COOL I KNOW IT SOUNDS BORING IN THE BEGINNING BUT JUST KEEP LISTENING IT GETS SO FUCKING COOL)) Taking a breath to signal Erwin, he firmly dragged the bow across the G-string, forming the quarter notes that make up the first movement of the piece, starting perfectly at the same time with Erwin. The sound of his violin rang clear and true in the hall, proving the rumors of good acoustics. By the third note of the first measure, Levi was gone. His eyes were closed, his face forming and moving to match the expression of the music. His elegant fingers were completely relaxed over his bow, even though the nature of the piece was thick and intense. His calloused fingers moved up and down the fingerboard with ease, the strength in them shown when the intensity of the piece picked up. This is what he lived for. He opened his eyes briefly at the end of the second movement, that last E ringing soundly through the hall. The crowd was stunned, and it took them a moment to move once they realized he stopped. Before they could compose themselves enough to clap, he was beginning with the third movement, the most technically difficult and intense. But God, did Levi love it. He hit the crescendo in the last few bars and felt the music raise and surround him, surround them all, his lips parted in emotion for this powerful piece. He heard the beat pounding in his ears, pulsing through his very being. He finished the last note, hitting the climax of the piece, and breathed heavily through his nose trying to catch his breath as he felt the beat slowly fade away. The crowd was stunned.

Eren Jaeger only had three words. Holy. Fucking. Shit.


	13. Chapter 13

**wow it's been a while (again) sorry about that, school has been tough. anyway, sorry for the length of the chapter, but wharves. Enjoy :D**

Levi smirked and took in all the applause, the standing ovation coming as no surprise to him. At least, the people who could stand did. He performed spectacularly, as always. Still, he was curious as to that random kid in the sea of old prunes. He gave one last bow and strode offstage, Erwin following close behind him. The crowd was still applauding even after Levi whisked offstage, and Eren was so mesmerized by his performance that he couldn't stand for a few moments. Eventually Eren remembered he had a job to do and stood, clearing his throat and regaining his senses, grabbing the backstage pass in a slightly sweaty hand. Damn, that violinist gave him chills. Not needing directions since he still remembered from the last time he performed here, he wound his way through the grey-painted concrete hallways behind the hall.

Levi let out a huff of satisfaction as he plopped down on the sofa, wiping his sweaty forehead with a tissue while Erwin went to scavenge the fruit left for them. He cleaned his violin gently with a glasses cloth he kept and carefully strapped it up in its case.

"Great job, Levi, you did great tonight." Erwin said after gulping down a glass of water.

"Hn." Levi nodded in acknowledgement and looked down at his instrument fondly. "Yeah, today was exceptionally good for some reason. It was weird, especially with the shit acoustics in this hall."

"I actually believe that the acoustics are quite good," Erwin inputted and cracked his knuckles, sitting in the spot next to Levi, who glared at him seeing as there were chairs perfectly open. "Oh, and by the way, I think you have some journalist coming to speak with you about your performance."

"Tch, why the hell didn't you tell me that before? I don't want to talk to some shithead about the reasons behind my music. We've been over this. And don't crack your fucking knuckles, idiot," he spat and swatted at Erwin's hands. "You're a pianist, damn it."

"Jesus, Levi, just do it. He's probably on his way here right now." Erwin sighed and scratched behind his head, ignoring the insult and moving his hands away from the ravenette to continue with the cracking of his knuckles. Typical Levi. Levi rolled his eyes and ran a hand through his ebony locks, sighing dramatically.

"Fine. But you owe me." Levi huffed and crossed his arms and legs, looking away from his annoying boss, who stood up to open the door.

Eren quickly marched his way through the labyrinth of passageways with ease, figuring this guy would probably be in the green room since that was what it said on the pass. He already knew exactly where the green room was, and gave a grim smile when he saw the door. So many memories…

He raised a shaking hand, procrastinating on knocking. He looked down and took a breath. He wasn't sure why he was so nervous about this. The guy was literally just a sassy midget that looked like he weighed 30 pounds soaking wet. Regardless, he had one hell of a stage presence that made already-shy Eren even shyer. Though the violinist was a head shorter than him, he felt 50 heads taller than him when he stood onstage. Right before he could knock, however, the door opened in front of him. Poor Eren stood there, hand raised and mouth open like an idiot. His eyes slowly travelled up to meet the kind eyes of the accompanist. What was his name? Fuck, Eren's loosing his memory. Irvin? Eden?

"Hello, my name's Erwin," the pianist said with a smile and stepped back to allow the terrified journalist to enter the room. Erwin, that was it! Holy crap, Eren thought this guy looked big onstage… Up close, he was… Bigger. Eren, who was rather tall, still had to peer upward to meet this guy's eyes. "I'll be back in a moment, make yourself at home." Erwin said kindly and gestured to the room around him. Eren nodded and stepped in the green room and couldn't help wrinkling his nose at the familiar place. It hadn't changed one bit, except for the photos around the walls of famous performers there. He looked at them curiously, noting how he knew almost every single face there. His face paled, however, when he noticed a photo of himself hanging on the wall. He was much younger, thank god, and the photo was one that didn't really show his face. He hoped to god that no one would recognize him, or that that violinist didn't look to closely. Actually, Eren wouldn't have even have noticed the picture at all if it weren't for the vibrant tie. He snickered at the memory. The last time Eren performed here, he snuck a light up tie into his dress suit bag, and wore it onstage as a joke. Holy shit, his parents were _pissed._ But it was totally worth it. Eren would just have to hope that the raven-haired man just wouldn't notice. He looked about the rest of the room, with disgusting manila wallpaper, the Yamaha upright in the corner, and the green couches and chairs littered around the room. He smiled fondly at the old piano, and sat down at the bench and letting his fingers graze over the keys, still remembering the piece he practiced on this piano on more than once occasion. He jumped, startled, when he heard the door to the second half of the green room open, bringing in the pissed-off violinist. He turned around, away from the piano, and faced him with a nervous smile.

"U-Um, good evening, Mr. Ackerman, you really perfor-"

"Listen, kid, I'm not up for the bullshit right now." Levi cut him off flatly. It took him less than a second to realize that this was the kid from the audience. What a coincidence. He supposed it made sense why he was there, then. He was reviewing the performance. Poor Eren shakily nodded and pulled out his notepad. Old-fashioned, he knew, but he liked traditional notation. Levi thought that was adorable.

"A-Ah, sorry sir," he said lightly.

"No 'sir', please, it makes me feel old." Levi sighed and leaned back on his chair. "Just Levi is fine." Eren nodded and took a breath. It's just a job. That's it. He took a glance back at the piano for support, finding comfort in its presence, as ridiculous as that may be. Levi noted this and raised a brow. "You play?

Eren realized he had been caught and smiled sheepishly. "No, I'm just very fond of the instrument." Levi nodded, and crossed his legs. Oh, if only he knew.

"Alright, I don't want to be here and neither do you, so let's get on with this," Levi states and steeples his fingers over his knee. Eren winced internally at the harsh tone. He knew this guy was going to be an asshole, called it. He was able to view the violinist close up, and honestly, after seeing him play, Eren felt something he wasn't used to. What was this nervousness in his chest? He snorted and scoffed before Levi walked onstage, but after hearing him play… Eren always knew that music struck a chord with him. Seeing Levi perform, it reminded him a lot of himself. Maybe that's what this feeling was. Probably.

"Very well. My name is Eren, by the way."

' _Good to know,_ ' thought Levi.

"Levi, I need to begin by saying you performed… spectacularly, tonight." Eren said, honestly. There was no one, _no one,_ who understood the joy and the feelings more than Eren himself.

"Hn. Is that all?" Levi said sarcastically. Wow, ok, rude.

"No, I've got a few questions, than I'll be out of your hair." Eren said patiently. "How old were you when you began playing violin?" Eren asked, pen poised to write.

"I was 3." Levi answered calmly. ' _Same!'_ Eren thought.

"Awesome. Do you play any other instruments?"

"I tried playing piano, but I sucked ass. I couldn't even get a scale right." Levi said, looking at the piano with disdain.

"H-Ha, same." Eren said, torn between laughing nervously or laughing at the look on Levi's face as he directed his gaze at the piano. "Do you have any other hobbies?"

"Do you count tolerating morons a hobby?"

"No, I'm afraid it doesn't," Eren said while still laughing a little. Levi locked his gaze on Eren's face. Goddamn, the kid was cute. Especially when he laughed. "Moving, on," Eren said with laughter in his eyes, "How old are you?"

"I'm 25."

"Really?" Eren said, his eyes wide. "Damn, I didn't know you were that old…"

"How old did you think I was, brat?" Levi snapped and glared at him.

"Like, 18…" Eren said nervously. Goddamn idiot. Well, that's enough questions for Levi. But he wanted to know more about this kid. He smirked and leaned forward, resting his elbows on his knees. Eren gulped and scooted back a little. Why was he so awkward? Ugh, come on, Eren, keep your shit together.

"Now, Eren, I want to ask you some questions." Levi said smoothly, fixing his cufflink.

"W-With all due respect, I have a few more questions before I can wrap up the interview…"

"Well I'm ending it early. May I ask you a few questions?"

"Uh, sure." Eren said, a small hint of a blush on his face from the look on the raven-haired man's face.

"How old are you?"

"I'm 19…"

"What's your last name?"

"Jaeger." Eren answered his questions truthfully, wondering why the violinist wanted to know so much about him.

"Got a girlfriend?" Damn, this guy was abrupt. And blunt as hell.

"N-no, if I may ask, why do you care?"

"I want to know more about the person who will be carrying my information over to a publishing company." Levi stated, which was a total lie. But Eren poised a good question. Why was he so curious? I mean, sure, the kid was cute, but he's seen plenty of cute people and felt no need to talk to them. "And that's surprising. I figured most horny teenagers would have found themselves a fuckbuddy by now." He sat back in his seat and sighed, taking off his suit jacket. Eren didn't mean to stare, he really didn't, but he just couldn't figure out why this man stuck out to him so much. Levi noticed, and smirked.

"Like what you see?"

"A-Ah, that's not… I-I mean… I-I don't…" Eren stammered as he tried to explain himself. Levi chuckled, a sound that made Eren's already prominent blush grow.

"Relax, kid, you look like you're about to have heart failure." Levi said and shook his head. "Anyway, I was just joking. I'm a little surprised to hear you don't have a girlfriend."

"I really just haven't found anyone I really connected with," Eren said truthfully. He ran a hand through his messy hair to clear his eyes, peering out at the violinist quizzically when he saw the latter watching him.

"Does 'anyone' mean anything gender specific?" Levi cut in smoothly.

"N-Not necessarily. I never really thought about sexuality, honestly. I've never had enough experience to swing me one way or the other." Eren said, rubbing the back of his neck awkwardly. Oh! That's right! He still needed to get a picture for Armin. "Um, Levi? Would you mind taking a picture? My roommate absolutely loves you, and he told me to take a picture."

Levi smirked and nodded. "Sure." He pulled out his own phone and opened the camera.

"Oh, I was going to use mine, it's fine-"

"I got it." Levi said shortly. "Get over here." Eren walked over and stood next to Levi, giving his usual carefree half smile. Levi had a gleam in his eyes and a smirk on his face and he pressed the button to take the photo. "Great, now give me your number."

"Why?" Eren asked as he pulled out his phone.

"So I can send the photo to you, idiot, tch." Levi said and snatched Eren's phone, inputting his number. Eren just stood there in shock. He would have Levi's number. It was for business purposes only, but still.

"Oh, and Jaeger, if you need anything, don't hesitate to call." Levi said, ruffling Eren's hair and turning back to begin walking away. "See you round."

"U-Um, bye, and thanks for your time, Levi." Eren said.

"Anytime, kid." Levi said over his shoulder as he walked back into the other half of the green room. Eren walked out of there with a blush on his face. Damn, did he have a lot to tell Armin. He checked his phone. Jesus, it was 2:00 AM already. Concerts always end so fucking late. He sighed and left the building, hopping into his car and nearly getting hit multiple times because he was so distracted.

Meanwhile, back in the green room, Levi was poking at the fruit left on the table while Erwin bustled around.

"What was it between you and that kid?" Erwin asked, making sure they had all their music in order.

"Nothing, he was just an interviewer, and I didn't feel like answering his questions." Levi stated, growing frustrated with his boss quickly.

"Are you sure? I've never seen you talk with a journalist that long." Erwin said with a growing theory. "And you got his number too. You didn't have to take the photo on your phone…" Erwin said as the realization hit him. "You got his number on purpose, you sly son of a bitch."

"I did not, and you can't prove it." Levi said with a huff, turning away and crossing his arms.

"You like him don't you?" Erwin teased and leaned on the chair behind Levi.

"…shut the fuck up."


	14. Chapter 14

**aight i am so fucking sorry for the lack of updating recently. school has been fucking insane and i have a few ap exams to prepare for, as well as a lot going on w music and horseback riding and teaching mma. sorry guys, ill really try and crank out more chapters. i need to decide what i want to make of these dorks anyway.**

Eren drove home in a daze. Holy shit. What even… What the hell happened? He was so lost in his daydream that when his phone buzzed he jerked the steering wheel so hard he nearly caused a crash. He glanced over at the screen, and saw an unfamiliar number but a message with a familiar picture. He gaped. He had Levi's number. This world famous, sexy violinist, and he had his number. Wow. He shook his head before pulling into the lot for their apartment complex.

Knocking on his door, still in a daze and totally forgetting he had his key, Armin opened the door with a small smile. "Hey Eren, how was it?" He asked, quickly forgetting his depression in favor of hearing about his idol.

"Oh. My. God. Armiiiiiiiiiiin!" Eren squealed like a little girl and hugged Armin tightly in an intense fanboy hug.

"W-Woah!" Armin caught his friend with surprise. "What happened to you? You were so adverse to going, what happened?"

"Dude, holy shit, you would never, _oh my god._ " Eren said all in one breath and put his hands on either side of his face, his eyes wide with adoration.

Armin giggled. "He's amazing, right?"

"No shit! This guy was literally fucking Paganini!" Eren gushed and stepped inside fully, Armin closing the door behind him. Eren flopped on the sofa and sighed. "Oh my sweet barbecue Jesus..." He buried his face in a pillow and continued having a fan attack. Armin watched with a raised eyebrow.

"No one recognized you, I presume?"

Eren shook his head and pulled out his phone, looking at it in wonder. "I got a picture!" Immediately Armin went into fan mode as well, flinging himself beside Eren on the sofa.

"Ooooooooh, lemme see!" He said as Eren opened the message, noticing that it wasn't in his camera roll. "Holy crap, he gave you his number?!"

"I know, right?!" Eren said gleefully, opening the photo and showing it to Armin.

"Wow…" Armin breathed and looked at the two men in the photo. The longer he stared at Levi's face he realized he was blushing. He looked over and realized Eren was as well.

"Eren? Why're you blushing?" Armin asked curiously.

"I-I'm not blushing!" Eren argued as he dragged a hand across his cheeks as though he could wipe off the small blush forming there. "Anyway, did Jean come over while I was out?"

Armin glanced up at his friend, noting the change in subject before sighing and looking down. "Yeah, but I asked him to leave."

"Why?" Eren said and frowned. "I totally thought you guys would still be fucking by the time I got home."

Armin blushed and whacked Eren's arm. "Eren," he chided, "don't say things like that." But when Eren pouted and rubbed his arm, Armin sighed and gave in. "Alright, I just wasn't in the mood, ok?"

Eren looked confused, but let it go. "I guess. I've never had enough experience to be able to say 'I understand' but I think I can see your point."

"Actually…" Armin said and rubbed the back of his neck. "You and I have had about the same amount of experience."

"Wait, you and horseface have never done it?" Eren said incredulously.

Armin shook his head. "No. I've been putting it off. I'm just… nervous, I guess. I don't even really want to take my shirt off for him. I'm just too self conscious." In reality, though, Armin was waiting. He knew it was stupid, because Eren would never do that with him, but still. It just didn't feel right to do it with someone else.

Eren gave his blonde friend a soft smile and ruffled his hair. "Well, more respect to you. Don't do it if you're not ready. And if he pressures you into anything, I'll beat his ass into the ground." Eren said with a cocky grin.

Armin giggled and fixed his hair. "Don't worry, he's just as big of a wuss as me. He's just hornier than me. By a landslide. But he'd never force anything on me." Armin said with a small smile.

Eren watched Armin for a moment, before deciding that he was telling the truth and nodded. "Alright. Anyways, aaahhhhhhhhHHHHH" Eren continued to fanboy until even Armin got tired of it, and he dragged his excited tornado of a friend back into his room to go to sleep. He walked back to his own room with a small smirk on his face. He wondered if Eren maybe had a little crush…


	15. Chapter 15

**alright i am so sorry for the lack of updating. between depression and ap exams and finals my life has been hellish recently. if you don't know what ap exams are god bless. anyway, I'm more or less back now, so you can look forward to consistent updates now, i promise. if anyone even still follows this story anyway.**

"Eren, what the hell is this?" Hanji said and shoved the papers back into Eren's hand. "This will never be enough for even a small column, let alone an entire story! You know that, what happened?" She asked.

"I got distracted, ok? This guy was weird." Eren said sheepishly and scratched behind his head.

"Weird?" Hanji's brows furrowed and she cocked her head with interest. "What do you mean?"

"He like, stopped me in the middle of my interview, and started asking questions about me instead. It was so weird, that's never happened to me before, and I've dealt with some pretty weird people." Eren said truthfully, shrugging.

"That is weird. But anyway, how was the performance? That's really what's important." She said and turned to organize a stack of papers. "Ah well, now that you're not in school anymore," Eren shuffled his feet awkwardly at the statement, "you have plenty of time. Find this guy. You're so good at finding people it's creepy. Like a true journalist." Her glasses flashed. "Find him, and get a good interview or I'll have no money to give you because there will be no story. I'm counting on you, this guy is a prodigy and no one is better suited for the job than you. This could make our little paper into something a lot bigger." She said, a grin forming on her face. Eren was always a little scared of Hanji, even despite her being a mother figure she could be scary as shit when she wanted to be. It was when he saw that smile that he began to get a little nervous, not knowing what the crazy woman had in mind.

"A-Ah, alright, Hanji, I'll get right on it." He said, taking a step back.

"Oh, and Eren? What's the deal with that chef you're working on too?" She called over her shoulder.

"I'm trying to work out how to get an interview with him. A friend of mine," Eren honestly couldn't believe he just referred to Jean as a friend in any way shape or form, "knows him. I'm going to see if he can hook me up for an interview somehow so we don't need to use company money." Hanji grinned.

"That'd be so cool! Good job, Eren. Go home, get some rest. I expect an update on that violinist soon." She said and turned back to her own work. Eren nodded and left, gulping as he pulled out his phone. He hasn't had any contact with the violinist since the concert that night, and was really nervous to text him for anything. He rubbed his sweaty palms against his pants. Why was he so nervous? It was strictly for business, after all. He shook his head and opened the stream of texts that they shared. He did say if he ever needed anything he could call. Well, in this case he was going to text, but in this day and age what's the difference?

From: Eren To: Levi- **hey, it's that journalist from your concert the other night. i have a few businessy things to ask, so if you have the time could you maybe message me back?**

The text sounded juvenile even to Eren's own ears, but whatever. He wasn't out to form sonnets here, just to ask for a business thing. He got a reply almost immediately.

From: Levi To: Eren- **yeah I remember you. What's up kid**

Eren cringed briefly at the nickname but dealt with it.

From: Eren To: Levi- **well, my boss said that the interview with you wasn't enough, so she wants us to talk again. would you maybe be willing to go for coffee or something?**

Levi chuckled, this kid almost sounded like he was asking him on a date. Or maybe he didn't sound that way at all and that's just what Levi wanted to happen. Unfortunately, he had 0 time for coffee.

From: Levi To: Eren- **sorry but my schedule is packed. why don't you swing by my concert tonight, don't worry about tickets, and we can talk afterward**

Eren cringed again. Go to another concert? As much as he absolutely loved hearing Levi play, it would take a lot to convince Eren to step back into the classical music world twice in one week. Before he could even try to formulate a response, he got another message from Levi.

From: Levi To: Eren- **when does your boss need this interview by? i wouldn't mind using an interview as an excuse to leave that goddamn cocktail party after the concert**

Eren chuckled to himself. It seemed as though Levi was about as antisocial as they come. He kind of got that vibe from the first time they talked anyway, but still. Levi was so irritated by people it was almost… cute. Wait, what?

From: Eren To: Levi- **she didn't give me a date, but she kinda scares me tbh so sooner would be better XD**

Levi almost snorted. Emoticons? What a fucking dork.

From: Levi To: Eren- **if it helps you, my boss is that terrifying blonde idiot you saw when we met. he may look nice but trust me hes a dick, i know exactly how you feel. anyway, sure. just come by the concert and those cordial music fucks are holding a cocktail party after where i'll have time to talk.**

Levi really must be such fun at parties. Eren shook his head in amusement as he walked into the parking lot looking for his car. Come to the concert? Why? Eren sighed, stopping to think for a minute before deciding it wasn't worth the argument. Besides, the last thing Eren wanted was to make Levi believe he disliked hearing him play, and turning down free tickets coming directly from the performer would be so beyond rude. But, he couldn't go… But he wanted to go… After this mental battle with himself Eren replied.

From: Eren To: Levi- **alright. just text me a time and address and i'll be there. tonight, right?**

Seemed good enough in Eren's mind. Simple and businesslike.

From: Levi To: Eren- **yep. see you tonight**

Eren was standing outside his car for a good five minutes debating whether or not to reply, because he didn't want to seem eager but he also didn't want to seem distant. Jesus, what was wrong with him? He decided to be better safe than sorry and put his phone away, stepping into his car to drive home.


	16. Chapter 16

**ayyy guys what's up. this is a pretty long chapter, but whatever. i'm just glad I've had time to update recently. so hit me up with some reads and reviews. ^o^**

Eren got home and briefly explained to Armin what the deal was, and the latter then retreated into his room to play video games. Armin had been acting weird recently, Eren wondered if something was up with Jean. Whatever. He had a concert to prepare for. He found the same suit jacket just with a different shirt and put it on. He honestly would've worn the same shirt, but he wanted to impress Levi as much as possible. He'd never admit that, though. He walked in the bathroom and squirted some cologne on himself. It might not have been possible, but Eren looked even better than he did the previous concert. He grabbed his keys, said a quick goodbye to a very blushing Armin, and slid into the car. Levi had texted him the time and the address a few hours back, to which Eren had responded with a "thanks, see you soon." He turned on the radio and went to the classical station as usual. Wow, what a shocker. Rachmaninoff's piano concerto, his most famous piece. It's not like Eren hasn't heard that a thousand times. It also happens to be world renowned as the most difficult piano concerto ever written. Eren played it when he was 15, if that lets you know how much of a prodigy he is. He shook his head, and let himself enjoy the music anyway, his fingers lightly playing the notes on the steering wheel. He hummed lightly as he pulled into a parking garage and gave his key to the valet again, and walked into the lobby, curious to see what Levi had waiting for him. He walked up to the person scanning tickets and mentioned his name and that he was asked to not worry about a ticket. The guard's eyes widened briefly before he nodded, handing his scanner over to the guard next to him who now looked extremely overwhelmed by the new mass of people heading his way.

He followed the guard down into another series of corridors, enough for Eren to realize he was backstage. He followed the stone passageways, them feeling somewhat familiar. Oh right, he had performed here before, although it was a long time ago. Eren remembered this place from when he was a lot younger, like maybe 7 or 8. Eren had an amazing memory for concert halls. He paused behind the guard as he knocked on the door. Another green room, great. The same enormous blonde man as last time opened the door. Erwin, his name was. He remembered! Eren did a little mental fist pump and remembered Levi's warning about his boss during their brief text conversation and gave him a nervous smile as he peered up at him trying to get by.

"Hello, Eren." He said with a smile, his blue eyes lighting up. This guy couldn't be so bad, he looked like a daddy version of Armin.

"Hi, um, Mr. Erwin." Eren said nervously, holding out a hand to shake. Surprisingly, he was greeted with a laugh from the gargantuan man in front of him.

"Oh god, am I that old? Please, just Erwin." He said, the laughter fading from his face as he shook Eren's hand. "I don't think we've ever been formally introduced. My name is Erwin Smith, I'm Levi's accompanist and boss, for all practical purposes." He said, shaking Eren's hand. Eren, meanwhile, tried not to cringe from the force that this guy was putting on his hand. His precious hands, he needed those.

"Tch, did he seriously call you 'Mr. Erwin'? You're so old you could be his dad, what're you talking about?" Levi said as he entered the room. Despite him making Eren's comment into an insult towards Erwin, he found it absolutely adorable that Eren was so intimidated by his boss. He was like a first grader. Erwin sighed.

"Nice to see you too, Levi, as always." He said in an exasperated tone, and Eren bit back a giggle. Levi noticed and shot a glare at Eren.

"Shut up, Jaeger." Eren gulped and nodded, still being very intimidated by this god of a musician. Eren took a closer look at Levi and blushed slightly. He was wearing a black suit jacket with a black bowtie in his hand and a grey buttondown that was similar to the one he was wearing the other night. Eren tried not to stare as he realized that Levi had failed to button up all the buttons on his shirt, leaving the first two undone. His eyes were locked on that small expanse of skin showing, barely getting a peak at the smooth collarbone lying beneath with a virtually hairless chest, at least from what Eren could see.

Levi sighed and flopped into the chair behind him, rubbing his temples with his thin fingers. "Well, while we're here, might as well get some of the interview done."

Eren gulped and yanked his gaze away from Levi, who seemed not to notice Eren's staring. Erwin, however, was watching the green-eyed journalist with a keen eye. So this kid was interested in Levi? Good luck. Levi had the social and romantic ability of a lamp.

"U-Uh, don't worry about it. I've gathered you don't really like interviews, so I think it'd be best to wait until after your show." Eren stammered, but in reality he was so distracted by that small tormenting patch of skin that he forgot some of the questions. Jesus, what was wrong with him? Why is this midget making such an impact on him? Eren had never ruled out the thought, was he gay? God only knows.

Levi raised a single perfect eyebrow and shrugged, watching Eren quizzically. "Whatever floats your boat, kid. Why was your boss not satisfied by the answers I gave you?"

"The answers themselves were _fine,_ it's just the number of answers she was concerned with." Eren said in an exasperated tone. "I didn't even finish the interview the way I wanted to anyway." He left out the implied 'because you stopped me.'

Levi chuckled. "Don't get your panties in a twist. I don't mind your company." Eren shouldn't have been so embarrassed by that little statement but he was. Levi didn't even say that he _enjoyed_ his company; he said he merely _didn't mind_. Whatever, Eren would think whatever he wanted.

"A-Ah, right, well, are you nervous at all? What's on the program for tonight?" Eren asked, wanting to talk with the violinist as much as possible but not really knowing how.

"Vitali's-" Levi began,

"Chaccone in G minor?!" Eren gushed and blurted, before realizing his mistake and shrinking back into the seat shyly.

"I take it you've heard of it." Levi mused as he buttoned the last few buttons on his shirt and tie the bowtie around his neck. Bummer, that little skin patch was gone. It let Eren's head clear a little at least.

"Yeah," Eren mumbled and scratched behind his head. "I really like classical music, I'm sorry." He said with a small chuckle.

"Don't worry, I don't mind." Levi smirked and leaned forward to ruffle Eren's hair. While the brunette just blushed and didn't do anything, Erwin watched in shock. Levi just voluntarily touched another person. When had that ever happened before? Well, actually, Levi touched other people rather often, but it was usually just to hit them for something.

Levi chuckled slightly at the reaction he got from the brunette. He really liked this kid. Levi's love of dick was very well known to himself, but he had never really met anyone he considered dating-worthy. He just couldn't stop thinking about this stupid journalist. Damn him, with his damn beautiful eyes and damn tan skin and his damn wavy hair. Damn him for being attractive.

Eren coughed to clear the awkward silence. "Actually, as much as I love the Chaccone, doesn't it seem like a rather easy piece for someone as talented as you?"

Levi rolled his eyes. "Tch. I play what I'm being paid to play, and I don't ask questions. Besides, the Chaccone is a really outstanding work of music."

"I know that, it just seems weird that someone is paying you, the best violinist in the world-"

"Perlman is the best violinist in the world." Levi interrupted. Erwin, who was listening quietly, chuckled. These two had a nice rapport.

"-to play the Chaccone, which a talented high school student could play." Eren finished, feeling almost a little regretful he even brought it up.

"It is not the technique that makes the Chaccone difficult, but the musical interpretation." Levi said calmly, crossing his legs as Eren listened intently, wanting to catch every word coming from the violinist's mouth. "How to capture the emotion of the piece, gelling with the orchestra, pausing and holding just the right notes, the body movement, the musical language. There's a lot more to playing a piece than just the notes and rhythms. No high school student could ever play that piece the way it's supposed to be played." Levi finished, brushing a strand of raven hair from his face. Eren knew exactly what he was talking about, but Levi didn't need to know that. He merely nodded, and kept his gaze on the older man's face. He was so elegant, in absolutely everything he did. It made Eren feel substandard, who was still a lanky and clumsy teenager with no grace whatsoever. Eren was about to open his mouth and ask another question before Erwin felt the need to break up the conversation after glancing at his watch.

"Levi, we should go." He gave Eren a kind smile. "It was very nice talking with you. I expect we will be seeing you more soon." More? Soon? What the hell did that mean? Erwin shot a coy smile at Levi, receiving a harsh glare in return. Eren scratched his head in confusion and shrugged. That blonde bastard needed to shut his fucking mouth sometimes. Levi grumbled to himself and picked up his violin. Eren looked at it in awe. Despite the piano being his first love, he always held respect for the violin. It's such a beautiful and graceful instrument, with such power for its size. A lot like Levi himself, actually.

"Shut your fucking mouth you idiot, lets go." Levi said and turned swiftly and walked out the door. Eren looked after him in further confusion before Erwin shook his head and walked out, motioning for Eren to follow him. Eren didn't really need guidance around this hall but he followed Erwin anyway, leaving to go sit in the seats in the audience instead of following the two musicians to the wings. Eren didn't really know how to say goodbye so he just kind of left, hoping the other two would get the idea. He slipped into a front row seat just as the lights darkened, eliminating the possibility for a scout to notice him. The other people in the row looked at him in disdain but he paid them no mind. He directed his eyes up at the stage as the hall erupted in applause as the raven-haired violinist stepped onstage. He lost all trains of thought he had before as his eyes were glued onto the elegant musician.

Levi stepped onto the stage with a smirk and a swish of his hair, his silver grey eyes scanning the audience, pausing a little on Eren's face. He chuckled a little internally at how enraptured the brunette looked, finding it cute. He let his eyes travel over the audience before training his eyes on Eren's face again. Jaeger… Jaeger… Now that he was thinking about it, he felt like he had heard that name before. He lifted his violin to his chin, tuning it to Erwin's piano behind him.

Eren blushed slightly when the violinist's cool grey eyes caught his. He was trapped, in a one-way zone. He couldn't avert his gaze; he was too sucked in by Levi's entrancing eyes.

Levi took a deep breath before placing his bow on the string, listening as the sound of the piano takes form behind him. His brows furrowed in emotion as he dragged his bow down the first chords, his breath coming tunneling out of his nostrils as the sound of the violin swelled and filled the room. The entire audience was on the edge of their seats, eyes trained on the musician on stage. Levi's eyelids closed as his concentration increased, and he felt the music lift him up and carry him away, his bow and fingers moving of their own accord. His shoulders lifted as he moved to the music, his body held in suspension by the melody. His fingers danced up and down the fingerboard effortlessly, his right hand so relaxed that Eren had no idea how the bow didn't fall out. He retained perfect control over every note, each one deliberate and precise, with perfect intonation and technique, but the violinist looked at ease and effortless. All Levi could feel was the fingerboard under his fingers, and the movement of his wrist as he moved the bow. He was nearing the end of the piece now, almost there. He heard Erwin's cue and hit the final chord, drawing it out as the ritardando (or holding out of a note) in the music instructed. He held the bow aloft, half a centimeter over the string when he finished, his eyes still closed. When the last waves of the last note died out, there was absolute silence in the hall.

Eren didn't even realize his mouth was open until the piece was over. He shut it, and swallowed to regain feeling in his mouth and closing his eyes from gaping at the violinist for so long. He could cut the tension in the room with a knife. The audience was silent for a moment, before erupting in cheers. Levi's silver-grey eyes opened, and latched upon Eren immediately. Eren gulped and blushed, meeting his eyes with wonder, amazement, and admiration. Levi looked at him coolly for a second, and then smirked. Eren could practically feel his face heating up. There's no way a smirk should look that good on someone. Wait, what? His brain is just fuzzy from that performance, that's all. Levi faced the audience, his eyes shining in the spotlight. He bowed, and Erwin did a modest one behind him. The raven turned and walked briskly off the stage, his accompanist following suit. Eren sat there frozen for a second, unable to move, before realizing that everyone around him was rising. He did as well, and then remembered he'd need to meet Levi in the green room. He shook his head to clear it and hustled off through the crowd to the empty hallways backstage. Funny, he figured security backstage would've stopped him by now. Maybe Levi gave them a heads-up.

He knocked on the door and a yawning Erwin opened it. Eren stepped inside nervously, all of a sudden feeling kind of shy. What could he say after such a performance? Honestly, Eren felt like he was in the presence of gods. He walked into the main room to see Levi downing a bottle of water. He shouldn't have watched, but Levi didn't notice. Levi finished the bottle and put it down, sighing. He looked up, catching sight of Eren and straightening.

"Did you enjoy it?" Levi asked.

"Oh my god, I don't even know what to say…" Eren said truthfully and his eyes widened a little at the memories of the performance. "I've never seen anyone perform like you…"

Levi raised an eyebrow. "How many performances have you seen to make that judgment?"

"A-Ah, not many, I'm just saying, from what I've reviewed for my job I've never seen anything like you. You're out of this world."

"In more ways than one, kid." Levi said with a smirk as he placed his violin back in its case.

Eren turned as red as a tomato. He didn't doubt Levi's statement for a second. "T-That wasn't w-what I was implying at all…" He stuttered, unable to form a coherent response after the abrupt statement.

"Tch, relax. It was a joke." Levi said and zippered the case shut after placing his bow in. Levi hoped it wouldn't be just a joke for long, but he needed to remember to be appropriate. Good things come to those who wait. "Anyway, are you still coming to this cocktail shit with me tonight? Didn't you have some more questions?"

"Y-Yeah, if you don't mind."

"Alright. The car's outside, so hop in."

Meanwhile, Erwin watched the exchange go back and forth. This would be interesting.


	17. Chapter 17

**hey hey hey all my wonderful readers. ok enjoy the oncoming gayness here. read and review please, they make my day ^o^**

The car ride to the bar was uneventful, and Eren stuck close to Levi's side during the walk into the bar. He was extremely nervous of being spotted here, this place was swarming with journalists and scouts, just dying to hear from Levi and Eren was not far behind. He stepped out of the black SUV and gave the driver a grateful smile. He looked around and noticed how the bar was sanctioned off specifically for this event. Nice. Was all this just for Levi? He glanced over at the other musician beside him in confusion.

"Yeah, this is all just for the concert." Levi said, waving a hand nonchalantly. "The guy who sponsored the concert is a businessman, and used the concert as a way to get some new business shit running."

"Ah," Eren said, nodding in understanding. Erwin and Levi shared a look and Erwin left off to go talk to some people he knew. Levi walked swiftly through the crowded floor of the room and pulled up a stool at the bar itself, ordering a champagne. He sat on it casually, leaning his elbow on the bar as he turned to look at Eren, who had sat beside him. Eren sat and whipped out his notepad and pen, clearing his throat. Before he could even begin, however, some people Eren didn't recognize approached them.

"Mr. Ackerman, may we have a-" one began.

"No, I'm busy, get the hell out." Levi cut him off swiftly and took a sip of his champagne, giving the guy a harsh glare. Eren chuckled. He held the glass so oddly. Who holds a champagne glass by the rim? It was adorable.

"A-Are you sure you can't-" another started.

"Did I fucking stutter? Leave." Levi said shortly and after hitting them with his glare for a few seconds they scurried away, abandoning any hope of getting a conversation in with the violinist. Eren watched with surprise and amusement.

"Not a people person, are you?" He asked with a small smile.

"Tch, people as a whole piss me off. Are they fucking stupid? Are their brains really that fucking small that they can't comprehend that maybe I'm talking to someone and don't want to be bothered? People are so goddamn self centered and I can't stand them." Levi finished with a sip of his champagne.

"Well, in that case…" Eren said and picked up his pen, poising it over his pad. "Do you have any job experience outside of your violin playing career?"

Levi huffed and took a sip of his champagne. "No. Violin is the only thing I can do right, and I've managed to market my best skill to the best of my ability." Eren nodded.

"Fair enough. Though, you seem intelligent to me, I'm sure you have some other useful skills." Eren said as he scribbled on his notepad.

"Well, I've written a few things, but I have no degree in composition of music." Levi said, downing the rest of his champagne in a single sip. Eren watched in shock, pausing for a moment before continuing. Levi raised a brow.

"What, you want one?"

"A-Ah, no, I'm underage." Eren said and waved his hands in front of his face. Levi chuckled

"You're cute." Levi said and smirked. "You're 19, right?" Eren nodded and looked up at Levi through his bangs. "Then have a drink. You're old enough to join the army and fight for your country, you're old enough to have a drink." Levi said, ordering another glass.

"That's alright, I'd really rather not." Eren said, a blush still on his face from Levi's earlier compliment.

"Hn. Your loss." Levi said and downed half the glass in one gulp.

"Moving on, do you have any family or siblings that you'd like to contribute some of your success to? As far as I know, no one knows anything about your family." Eren understood the value of keeping some family things close to the vest, but he figured he'd ask anyway. Levi's gaze darkened and he drank the rest of the glass quickly, setting it down on the table with some force.

"I'd really rather not comment on that." Eren was slightly disappointed, but let it go.

"Alright, well, what is your level of proficiency? What degrees do you have in music?" Eren asked, his pen poised to write.

"I got my doctorate in music from Julliard not too long ago." He said and picked up another champagne. Eren raised a brow but said nothing.

"Wow, that's quite the accomplishment." Eren said. "I've heard Julliard is quite a tough school. Is that so?"

Levi chuckled a little, his face flushing from the alcohol. "That school is shit. I mean, yeah, I guess it's good, but it's pretentious as fuck. Everyone is always competing with you, it's so fucking fake." Levi chuckled again and some of his hair fell in front of his face.

"So I've heard." Eren understood perfectly what Levi was talking about, but he didn't need to share that. He wrote silently for a few moments, before he was interrupted by Levi's hand stopping his pen.

"You're… done." Levi said, his words slurring a little as he pulled Eren's pen from his hand and set it down on the bar next to them. Eren sighed. Not this again. Oh well, he was more or less done anyway. "Anyway, Eren," Levi said, a few strands of his hair falling in front of his face as he leaned a little closer to Eren. "Have you ever heard the Mendelssohn violin concerto?" He asked, looking at Eren curiously.

Eren couldn't believe what he was seeing. Tipsy Levi? What the fuck? He couldn't decide whether this was cute or not. "Y-Yes, I've heard it." Eren answered, moving away from Levi a little. Levi had leaned and his face was much closer to Eren's than Eren would've liked. He blushed and looked off to the side. Levi accepted another glass of champagne and drank half of it in one go.

"Ah, that's the _shit_." Levi said and chuckled, sitting back on his stool. "Mendelssohn wrote some damn good shit. My ears fucking orgasm when I listen to that piece." Levi said, stumbling over some words here or there.

Eren chuckled, not sure whether to be intimidated or not. "I-I really think you should maybe stop drinking, sir."

"Tch, my name's Levi. But you can call me anytime." Levi said, and smirked a little in his tipsiness.

Eren flushed immediately and shifted nervously. "I-I, um…" He stammered, really unsure of how to take that extremely abrupt pick up line.

Levi's smirk grew and he downed the rest of the champagne. "You're really…" He paused while he hiccupped. "…cute…" He finished and chuckled to himself.

If it were any possible for Eren's face to get redder, that's exactly what happened.

Erwin was watching from a distance, noticing his friend steadily get more and more intoxicated. He really enjoyed watching these two, they were both such idiots and they had no idea. Eren shifted his gaze to the side embarrassedly, not really knowing what to say.

"Oi, look at me," Levi said, grabbing Eren's chin and lifting it so his slightly glazed silver eyes met Eren's green ones. Eren slowly lifted his gaze so lit met Levi's shyly. His breath caught in his throat when their eyes met, he could hear his heart pounding in his ears. "You have such beautiful eyes…" Levi mumbled, his eyes roaming Eren's face before he jumped when Erwin set a firm hand on his shoulder. As much as he wanted to see this happen, it couldn't happen in a bar with a lot of people who would most likely give Levi employment opportunities in the future.

"Alright, Levi, I think it's time we headed home." Erwin said with a kind smile. Levi turned around and looked at Erwin like he was the most offensive thing he had ever seen.

"What the fuck, brows, I was doing shit." He mumbled, looking at Erwin's hand like it personally offended him.

"Yes, well, you can do it later." Erwin said, looking at Eren rather knowingly. Eren nodded and jumped from his seat. Erwin led a grumbling Levi out to the waiting car and Eren stepped in behind them.

The car ride back was rather uneventful, with Erwin and Levi arguing over anything and everything that came up. Eren felt a pang of sympathy for Erwin, a drunk and belligerent Levi couldn't be fun to deal with. They dropped Eren back off at the parking garage where he got his car and drove home.

He unlocked the door where an expectant Armin was waiting for him. He closed the door behind him and let out a deep breath as he leaned back against it.

"Armin… I think I'm gay."


	18. Chapter 18

**okokokok so here's whats been going on. my mom told me that she'd be getting me my own computer bc shit happened and she needed the family one to become her own personal computer. that was a while ago and she never told me when she'd get me the computer. obviously, i have a lot of stuff on the family computer (which was more or less mine) that i did not need her seeing. so i had to email my story and all this other stuff to myself, and i couldn't work on it bc i deleted the document from the computer. i have successfully gotten my new computer, i got it yesterday, so obviously updating is the first thing to do. anyway, if you forgot, where we left off is eren just coming out to armin as gay, after his conversation with tipsy levi. enjoy!**

Armin smiled. "I know." He said, walking towards his friend. Eren buried his face in his hands.

"Oh my god, I'm gay…" he said, his shoulders beginning to shake. "I'm fucking gay…" he whispered, a tear sliding down his cheek. Armin stepped forward silently and wrapped Eren in his arms. He felt a pang of emotion when he realized that this couldn't stay this way forever, but he tried to ignore that feeling as he slowly stroked Eren's back. "My parents… School… Everything… If people find out, I… I…" Eren's voice broke and he couldn't continue as he let himself fall apart in Armin's arms.

"Sh… It's alright, you're not alone. You have people who love you and who can help you…" Armin whispered and let Eren rest his head in the crook of his neck. "You have me, Hanji, and all our friends… that's all that matters…" Armin cooed to Eren as he let his friend cry.

"I don't want to be gay…" Eren whimpered. Armin knew exactly what he was talking about. Although being gay was amazing and wonderful, it presented many challenges. People were always going to hate, people were always going to persecute him, he would never be fully accepted. It always frustrated Armin when people said that being gay was a choice. It's not a choice. No one would make that choice. There are so many cruel people in the world who attack people who are literally just like them, but love differently. Armin had no issues with how he was, but he had a supporting family and network. Eren, however… his family would never accept him. Armin let Eren cry and cry until there were no more tears to cry, and Eren fell asleep on Armin's shoulder. Armin, despite himself, didn't want this moment to end. He fell asleep next to Eren after he had moved them both to the sofa. They lay there until the next morning, where Armin arose early to make breakfast for them both.

"Now this is what I'm talking about!" Hanji said, slapping a hand on Eren's back as her glasses flashed. She grinned and held the papers Eren gave her aloft like the scene from the Lion King. "This is what I was asking for in the first place!" She swiftly turned to him and grasped his shoulders. Eren gasped and stepped back in shock, as much as he loved Hanji, he always somewhat feared for his physical safety whenever she touched him.

"Y-Yeah, hah, I'm glad you like it," Eren said, nervously trying to pry Hanji's hands off him. Eventually she let go.

"Now, I'm going to run this through. What are your plans for tonight?" Hanji called as she stepped into a different part of the office to insert the article. Eren scratched the back of his head.

"Well, if all goes my way, I was hoping to meet that chef tonight and talk to him for a bit." He replied. "Might as well kill two birds with one stone, you know? My friend got me a time slot with him."

"Eren, that's fantastic!" Hanji gushed as she bustled about the small cluttered office space. "I've heard he's a really nice guy. I'm sure you'll have fun with it." She said and turned back to Eren, brushing her hands together as a symbol of completion.

"Yeah, whatever, either way, I'm getting some free water so," Eren said with a cheeky grin, "how bad can it be?"

"That's not a bad way to look at things. What are you going to ask him about?" Hanji asked, leaning on the side of a nearby desk.

"Just the usual. Why did you begin cooking, when did you find out you had talent and how, things like that." Eren said as he began walking out. His head has been entirely up his ass since his conversation with Levi. Did the violinist really mean all that or was he just drunk? Hanji looked a little offput at Eren's sudden desire to exit but she let it go.

"Oh, well, good luck! I know you'll have no problem." She said and turned away, clapping another employee on the shoulder good naturedly. Eren chuckled slightly as he saw the employee tense and flinch slightly.

He drove home, knowing Armin was still at work, and grabbed some stuff before pulling on a light blue button-down and some dress pants for his interview. He was meeting the chef at his restaurant, unsurprisingly. Bodt was an extremely busy chef, so it didn't surprise Eren that he could only take an hour off his job for the interview. He made his way to the restaurant, shivering in the cold winter air and stepping inside with his paper and pen. Despite Eren being rather apprehensive about this chef, the place he ran was absolutely gorgeous. It was a well-lit, rather crowded building buzzing with energy and good vibes. He made his way up to the hostess, ignoring how her eyes paused and roamed over his frame.

"Hi, my name is Eren Jaeger, I have a reservation here for an interview tonight with Mr. Bodt." He said, straightening his tie. She gave him a flirty smile and nodded.

"That you do. Right this way, Mr. Jaeger," she purred and brushed his arm on the way by. Eren smiled nervously and followed.

"R-Right." She led him to a table near the back, with a little bit more of a secluded atmosphere. Good, Eren hated doing business with a ton of people around. Plus, he didn't want to have to raise his voice or have other people listening. It just made him uncomfortable.

"Can I get you something?" She asked, and actually winked. Eren just looked away, a little caught off guard by all the attention. As we all know, Eren is sexy as fuck. He just doesn't really realize it sometimes.

"A-Ah, no thank you, I'm fine." He said with a tight smile. She truly was very pretty, but Eren couldn't have been less interested. Boobs? …Nah.

"Are you sure?" She asked and leaned in a little closer. Eren gulped as he caught glimpse down her shirt.

"I'm alright, thank you." He said, casting his glance off to the side. She hovered there for a second, then she was gone. Eren kept his eyes averted in case she'd come back, until he noticed a more male presence slide into the booth.

"Sorry about her, she flirts with almost every man who comes in here…" A rather soft voice spoke and Eren looked up. It was the head chef, Marco. Eren couldn't help but smile at him. He was simply a ray of sunshine. He had a full face, with dark chocolate hair and freckles speckled across his nose and cheeks, but other than that his skin was unmarked. He sighed a little, brushing some strands of hair away from his face, and gave Eren a golden smile.

"Don't worry about it," Eren chuckled and folded his hands on the table.

"I suppose you get that a lot anyway," Marco said with a small laugh and winked at Eren.

"What? Pfft, no. Not really. I don't put myself out there much..." Eren said sheepishly.

"You should, I bet you'd find someone absolutely gorgeous." Marco said with a smile and brushed his hands together. An image of Levi immediately pasted itself in Eren's head, and he pushed it aside.

"Thanks," Eren said, grateful for the compliment nonetheless. There was silence for a second, before the it was broken again.

"Anyway, would you like something? I know you weren't keen to respond to Petra before." Marco asked.

"Yeah, actually, a water would be nice. My name is Eren, by the way," Eren said, glad that the chef had offered.

"My name is Marco Bodt, but I'm pretty sure you already know that. Nothing stronger? No food?" Marco asked, signaling over a waitress.

"Not tonight, though I promise I will be back." Eren said, chuckling, as some water was placed in front of him and he took a sip. "I really just need to appreciate the work you've done in this place. I remember what it was before it was renovated, you've done an amazing job." Eren said honestly, pulling out his notepad.

"Ah, well, I try," the chef said with a small blush and smile. This guy is such a ball of joy.

"You succeeded." Eren said, and opened his pad. "Now, Mr. Bodt,"

"Just Marco is fine," said the chef.

"Very well, Marco, when did you first realize you had a love for cooking?" Eren asked, pen poised to write.

"When I was very young, and my father first taught me how to cook a few basic dishes. He worked, and my mother passed at an early age, and it was just me and my younger sister." Marco began, with Eren scribbling furiously as he spoke.

"My sister was too young to help out in any financial way, so the burden of really running the household fell on my father. He was so stressed, I hated to see him like that, so I helped out in any way I could. Mostly, that was through housework. I didn't really have any choice but to cook, so that's what I did," he finished with a small smile.

"Wow, really? What a story," Eren remarked as he ended his thought on his paper. "I love hearing of how people really worked for their fame instead of inheriting it, you know?" He said, earning a small blush from the chef.

"Ah, well, you know," Marco said, "it just so happened to work out that way for me."

"Clearly," Eren said and cleared his throat. "How did you find out you had such a talent? Was it a father, mentor, who told you that you had a special skill?"

"Well, actually, it was my first boyfriend," Marco said thoughtfully. Eren raised his eyebrow at that, making a special note. "Yes, I'm gay," Marco said, noting Eren's reaction.

"And, would you like me to put that in or not?" Eren asked.

"Huh?" Marco asked, completely confused.

"Would you like me to put that in the article, or would you rather me conveniently leave it out?" Eren asked with a gentle smile. "Those things are really personal, and especially with growing fame, may lead to some unintended consequences. So if you don't want me to put it in, I get it."

"I… no one has asked me that before…" Marco said, floored. "I've never specifically mentioned it to anyone, you're the first," Eren gave him a smile, "but it means a lot that you asked. You're a good guy, Eren," Eren chuckled.

"Anytime. You're a good guy too, so all the more reason for me to want to check first. Do you want me to put it in or leave it out?" Marco hesitated for a moment before responding.

"Leave it out for the time being. I'm not sure I'm ready for everyone to know yet." Marco said.

"Gotcha, no worries. I totally get it." Eren said, crossing out the note he made about Marco's sexuality. "Anyway, your first boyfriend tried your food, and then what?"

"He loved it, so I started making lunch for him to take to school. Eventually, word kinda got around in our friend group, and eventually I was catering for local events within the school and district." He paused to let Eren write, and continued at a nod from Eren. "When I graduated high school, I kind of had no choice but to go into culinary school. My grades were average, but not the best. It was the only think I knew how to really do, so it went without saying within my family that I'd become a chef." Marco said thoughtfully. He smiled, and continued. "Truthfully, I wouldn't have it any other way. I've never worked a day in my life, because my job isn't work. I love it so much." He took a sip of the water in front of him.

"That's wonderful to hear. This isn't part of the interview, I'm just personally curious. How does somone as sweet as you get acquainted in any way shape or form with an asshole like Jean?" Eren asked.

"Well, actually," Marco hesitated again, "He was my, um… He was my first boyfriend." Eren nearly spit out his water.

"Really? Damn, raise your standards a little," Eren grinned and chuckled.

"He's not bad at all, he's really sweet, once you-"

"Look past the stench of horse manure and tiny dick? Yeah, I bet he's a keeper." Eren laughed.

"Hey, he's really- wait, how'd you know about that?" Marco blurted. Eren's eyes widened to the size of dinner plates.

"Know about what?" He asked, his grin steadily growing. Marco's face turned redder and he looked away.

"N-Nothing!"

"So Jean _does_ have a tiny dick! I knew it!" Eren cheered and raised both fists in the air, leaning back in his seat.

"Not so loud, I don't want other people to hear this…" Marco said, looking around self-consciously.

"You're not defending him, though," Eren added slyly and smirked.

"His… size, is none of my business." Marco stuttered and looked away.

"Alright, alright, I get it. Anyway," Eren continued, but his grin never left his face. The rest of the interview passed in productive conversation, until Marco had to leave soon after. No matter, Eren got what he needed.

Eren stood and left the restaurant, heading home and falling into bed, and just as he fell asleep, his phone lit up with a text message.

From: Levi To: Eren:- **ive got a concert christmas eve and could use some company. you in?**


	19. Chapter 19

**hello hello readers long time no see i hope that this small update satisfies for a while ^^ my heart broke writing the armin scenes, oh my god my beautiful son I'm so sorry**

Eren Jaeger squealed like a schoolgirl when he checked his phone the next morning. But… should he? His face immediately began to redden, after thinking about his last encounter with the violinist. Shit, he's so fucking gay. But aside from that, _can_ he? He was so fucking scared. He didn't want to enter that again, he hated the judgement and the negative energy of the strict classical music world. His parents, always telling him he's never good enough…

Eren remembered being driven to his breaking point. His parents were cracking down on him hardcore, pushing him and pushing him until his face was gaunt and pale, bags under his eyes from lack of sleep. He would jump every time someone touched him, or mentioned his name, flinching and jerking away from even the gentlest of touches. All he could think of was his father's strike, and the taunts in his ear, telling him he was a lost cause, a useless child with no friends, and yelling at him to practice harder. That was his father's way of motivating him, Eren would guess, except that he enjoyed it. His parents made him so unbelievably paranoid, that at his last concert before he quit, he screwed up and panicked. He blanked. He forgot the music. That had never happened to him before. He could practically _feel_ the crowd's eyes on him, and his parents' gazes digging into his back from the front row. He cracked, he left the stage. The beating he got after that was one of the worst he'd ever gotten. That was when he decided he wasn't doing it anymore. He wasn't performing anymore. He snapped. His parents beat him and beat him, but he wouldn't budge. His parents grew terrified, the thought of losing their trophy child was nearly unbearable. Eren didn't talk, he didn't eat, he didn't make eye contact. His parents eventually gave up, but without music as a distraction the abuse became worse. He hasn't performed since.

Eren shuddered, not wanting to remember that indescribably horrific time in his life. He bit his lip, rolling over in bed, as he seriously debated. If he went back, his parents could easily find out, scouts would spot him, he would have to fight that battle again that he did all those years ago…

But if he went, he could once again experience the jaw-dropping Levi Ackerman. He could talk to him. Revel in the opportunity to spend time with such a genius. He could practically feel the world shift when Levi played, it was like the ground fell from beneath his feet. It was a musical experience unlike anything he'd ever experienced before. Plus, without his parents around, Eren couldn't deny that it felt nice being back in a concert hall. No one could ever convince him to perform again, but music truly was where Eren felt at home, and being there reminded him of the music before it was contaminated.

Eren weighed his options. Sighing, he eventually texted Levi back, rolling to the other side of the bed.

From: Eren To: Levi- **sorry, its Christmas eve. roommate wants me to stay in DX**

Eren got a response almost immediately.

From: Levi To: Eren- **really? the roommate that supposedly adores me wants you to stay in favor of free tickets?**

Fuck, how did he remember that? Eren had completely forgotten himself.

From: Eren To: Levi- **ah, yeah, lol he's pretty picky about his Christmas traditions. ill ask him tho ^^**

He was caught. Fuck. Whatever, he backed out quickly enough. He'd respond later.

From: Levi To: Eren- **Christmas is bullshit. santa clause is an iconographic representation of consumer culture under late capitalism.**

How the fuck was he supposed to respond to that? Eren chuckled and shook his head, deciding to wait a little before responding. He, personally, loved Christmas and the fall months. They were the "magic months" as Armin nicknamed them. He loved the fall, the leaves and cool breezes, the fluffy sweaters and jeans, the way the air smelled crisp and clean. Christmas was absolutely wonderful for Eren. He loved a traditional German Christmas, with the little wooden smokers with their unique smell that was just completely and utterly _Christmas._ Then the music and the snow and just, everything. To Eren, Christmas was the opposite of bullshit. After what Eren deemed was a suitable enough amount of time, he sent back a quick text.

From: Eren To: Levi- **hey, talked to my roommate, he's chill w letting me go. he just says he wants an autograph.**

That's not true, Eren was pulling that out of his ass. Armin was going to be with Jean for Christmas Eve, and then he and Eren would spend Christmas day together.

From: Levi To: Eren- **cool. the guys know your face and name, they'll let you in. see you soon, kid**

Eren blushed, but ignored it. He was so excited, and stumbled out of bed in his underwear. He dashed into Armin's room, shirtless in his boxers.

"Armin! Armin!" He whispered insistently, pushing at Armin's shoulder. The poor blonde groaned and rolled over.

"Go away, Eren," he grumbled and swatted at Eren's hand, hiding his face.

"I'm going to see Levi Ackerman again tonight!" Eren said, a little louder now that he knew Armin was awake.

"W-Wait, what?" That roused Armin and he rolled over, opening his eyes and gulping. Ok, seriously, it's like Eren does it on purpose. Would it kill him to put a shirt on? He blushed and looked away. "U-Um, that's great, how did it come about?" He said, his voice shaking a little.

"He texted me," Eren said excitedly, moving his hands around to demonstrate his excitement.

"I figured you'd be more scared, considering how hard it was for you to go to the first one," Armin said, scratching behind his neck and avoiding looking at Eren, with his abs that were staring Armin right in the face.

"Well, I tried to get out of it at first," Eren said sheepishly. "But you know I'm a shitty liar."

"Y-Yeah, um, could you put some clothes on? I know you're gay but there's no need to rub it in," Armin said, with a small smile, just trying to hide the grimace as he spoke. His feelings for Eren were getting… worse. Jean was noticing.

"Aw, ok. But can I say something?" Eren asked, going a little timid as he sat on Armin's bed. Armin nodded, looking at Eren through his bangs as he tried to focus on Eren's face. Even first thing in the morning, he was gorgeous… His messy hair, his bright eyes alight with energy and enthusiasm. That enthusiasm that Armin got out of bed for every morning. Even the dried drool on his chin, that was so quintessentially _Eren_. He loved it all. Eren gave a small smile and continued. "Accepting me, it really meant a lot. I knew you would, but… It's still hard for me to tell, you know? You're the best friend I ever could've asked for."

' _Best friend,'_ that's all he'd ever be. As his heart cracked he smiled, even though it didn't reach his eyes. "Of course, what do you think I'm here for?" He said.

"I know. Thanks, Ar. Love you bro." Eren said leaning over and hugging Armin tightly. Armin closed his eyes, savoring the closeness as long as he could, taking in everything. His strong arms, his scent, his hair tickling Armin's face. Armin could barely bring himself to smile when Eren pulled back, tucking his blonde hair behind his ear.

"I love you too, Eren." He said quietly. Eren would never know how much he meant it. Luckily, Eren was pretty naïve. He just grinned and stood.

"Alright, I need to go like, not look like shit." How ready Armin was to tell him all the endless beautiful things about him right then and there, anytime and anywhere…

"Ok, have fun." Armin said. You know what he needed? Another nap. Sleep the pain away Armin.

"I will. Talk to you later, have fun with Jean~" Eren said, striding out of the room. Jean… That's right. Jean. Armin stifled a sob and rolled over, letting the sound loose just as his door closed.


	20. Chapter 20

**hi guys, i know it's been forever and a day. junior year kept me mega busy and i can't promise anything in terms of updates, but im going to try and move the plot quicker than i originally wanted for the sake of fewer updates. thanks to those who stuck with me for this long 3**

Eren parked and sat up straight in the driver's seat of his car, tightening his tie and arranging himself in the mirror. He fixed his hair multiple different times before gulping and getting out of the car. Tonight's program was supposed to be epic. Levi was playing Paganini's violin concerto no. 1. Eren was never really a huge fan of Paganini, it seemed as though a lot of the ornaments in his music were… unnecessary. It was cool, of course, Eren just tended to lean towards a different style of music. But what did he know about the violin? Nothing. He pressed keys and the keys made noises. The violin was a mystery to him. He walked into the building, moving past the throng of people and into the main hall of the building. Eren was familiar with this venue as well, no surprise, so he took a different route off the beaten path. When he was in an area with no people, he shot Levi a text.

To: Levi From: Eren- **hey, im here. R u in the green room?**

To: Eren From: Levi- **yep. Take the stairs and then down to the right.**

Eren was already at the door, and he grinned sheepishly at the guards who nodded and let him in. Levi looked up in shock, cursing in surprise.

"Fuck, that was quick. My text literally just finished sending." Levi said, looking up at the taller.

"Sorry, I've done interviews in this building before, I already knew where it was," Eren said, only half lying. He sat down, a blush making its way across his cheeks. After his last encounter with the violinist he was, understandably, a little nervous. He let his eyes wander over Levi's form as the latter battled with his violin G-string again. Those pants looked good on him… Like, really good. When Levi turned around, he couldn't help but stare at his ass. It was a nice ass. How often did Levi work out to maintain this kind of fitness? He was a violinist! Whatever. Levi rolled up the sleeves of his button down and Eren watched the muscles in his forearm flex as he tuned the persistent peg. Levi smirked. This kid was totally whipped. He'd be lying if he said he wasn't a little attracted to him as well. Ok, maybe a lot. Shut up.

Eren, on the other hand, was sitting there awkwardly. What did he say? Did Levi even remember what happened at the bar? "M-Merry Christmas, by the way," he said, trying to snap out of his reverie. Levi scoffed.

"Christmas, just like god, is a man-made concept. It holds no bearing for me whatsoever." Levi said, his brows furrowing as he worked on the peg. He smirked in success as it finally stayed where it needed to.

"I wouldn't say it quite like that…" Eren said. "Time is also a man-made concept, but that doesn't make it any less real for us, does it?" Levi stopped for a second.

"It's just… stupid." Levi grumbled. Eren chuckled.

"You should try Christmas my way. I don't do much with family," he glazed over, but continued, "but a traditional German Christmas is one of the most magical things for me. Do it for the chocolate if nothing else?" He said, looking at Levi, who chuckled and rolled his eyes.

"Why do you seem like the type to only enjoy a holiday because of the food?" Levi teased, lifting his violin to his shoulder and playing an A, cringing as it was a half-step flat. He leaned over, cursing as he couldn't quite reach the A key on the piano. Eren reached over and pressed it for him, holding it so the violinist could get the pitch. "Thanks." He said, quickly tuning the rest of the violin. Eren nodded, sitting back. Levi was so elegant, it amazed Eren how one person could be so effortlessly graceful. He found it very attractive.

"Don't knock it until you try it," Eren advised. The French may indeed be classy, but the German still hold the title as best chocolate makers. And they always will.

"Tch." Levi said, turning around to grab his shoulder rest from his case, fitting it onto his violin and sitting back down. Eren looked around.

"Where's your accompanist?" He asked, figuring the blonde would've been here with Levi. Levi huffed.

"That asshole is out tuning the piano, because he didn't check beforehand and its way off key. Which is quite obviously a problem." Levi said, clearly annoyed. Eren bit his lip. He could tune an entire piano perfectly in less than 10 minutes. But his secret was still one that needed to be held.

"Ah, that sucks." He said, rubbing behind his neck as he examined this green room a little more closely. No pictures of him, or anyone. Good. Levi's phone vibrated, revealing a text from Erwin. Levi took a second to read it before putting his phone down.

"Alright, show time. Sit anywhere that's free, I don't give a shit." He said, with a carefree wave of his hand. Eren gulped and nodded, standing up straight at attention. He forgot for a few minutes in their brief conversation who Levi was, and it put Eren back in his place. He waited for Levi to turn to leave before he did as well, following him out and taking a different route back to the auditorium instead of the stage, separating from Levi. Levi smirked and looked back at Eren. "See you later, kid." Levi said, before gracefully turning and walking away. Eren was about to make some retort but the violinist was already gone, lost to the winding hallways of the concert hall. He sighed, making his way out and quietly slipping in the back, just in time to see Levi walk onstage. He sat in the back, where the acoustics were really bouncing off the walls. Levi tuned again, and Erwin's piano, mercifully, was in tune.

Levi took a breath and squared his shoulders, looking out at the audience calmly. It was his stage. His performance. He'd have these people in the palm of his hand and he knew it. He seemed to grow taller on the stage, looking back at Erwin and making eye contact. The latter nodded and they both seemed to take a synchronized breath before Erwin began playing the introduction. Eren wondered why Levi chose to have a single pianist to accompany him as oppose to the orchestras he could easily get if he wanted. Simplicity was beautiful in and of itself, he supposed. Erwin played the introduction for the first movement, as Levi relaxed and readied himself. He began moving the bow across the string, playing the powerful concerto with ease. Eren never really liked Paganini, but now all of a sudden his ornaments and oddities in his music made sense. Levi played with such conviction, as he took the music and ran with it. Eren was in awe, he had never seen a pianist and soloist so in sync before. They even moved together. Levi's violin had a beautiful, bright sound, and it resonated perfectly off the walls of the hall.

He continued, holding the sound in suspense before continuing, the whole audience swaying and moving with him. Eren, on the lookout for scouts, sat back in his seat, keeping his eyes straight forward at all times. Usually, they sat in the front, so he was probably ok, but you never know. He heard the last note ring around the auditorium, before the entire audience stood and cheered. Levi let out a quiet breath and gently brushed his hair out of his forehead, smirking into the crowd. He continued with the rest of his program, it flowing by with the same mind-blowing control as the first. He finished and swiftly strode offstage after a modest bow, Erwin doing the same and getting a catcall or two. Not surprising, but fairly unusual in such a classic setting. Eren, as soon as he recognized it was over, left the hall and snuck backstage before the crowd hit. He let out a breath of relief as he leaned back against the silent wall, images of the violinist taped to the insides of his eyelids. Never, in all his years, had he held such control over an audience as Levi did. He had never met anyone with that kind of stage presence. He gave a goofy grin before moving back towards the green room. He might not have been invited, but whatever. He had to at least let Levi know how amazing his performance was. The guards stepped aside and let him in without a word, the violinist there packing up his instrument. He turned around as he heard Eren enter.

"Thank fucking god, I was hoping you'd show up." Levi said, straightening with a slight smirk. The brunette's mouth was open and his eyes were wide, a breathless look on his face.

"That was absolutely amazing!" Eren gushed, moving towards the violinist with reverence. "I've never seen anything like that! The way you just, held the crowd, and…" Eren couldn't finish as he plopped down in a chair, gazing into space. Levi chuckled.

"Thanks, glad you enjoyed it," he said, sliding his bow back into the case. He zippered his case and lifted it up, looking at Eren with a brow raised. "Wanna ditch? I have 0 desire to stay and talk classy with all these snot-nosed aristocrats." Levi said, shrugging his coat on.

"I-If you don't mind me tagging along," Eren said, excited to have more opportunities to talk with his newfound crush. Wait, crush? Since when did Eren have a crush on anyone? Ok, let's look at the evidence. Flushed face, awkwardness, but an unexplainable desire to spend time with him, yeah it's a crush. Whoops.

Levi chuckled. "Obviously not. Grab your coat, let's go."

Eren nodded and rapidly threw on his coat. "Why are you ditching, exactly?" He asked, forcing his arm through the sleeve.

"The one thing I hate more than anything else about my profession is all the business that goes along with it. I don't know how you haven't figured this out yet, but I'm not the most socially amiable person." Eren nodded, he already knew that. Levi continued. "Especially around this time of year there are shit tons of after-party cocktail like things that I always get invited to. Erwin loves them, he can go. I, however, only go when it's absolutely essential." Eren understood. He hated them as well.

"So is he going then?" He looked around in confusion, just then noticing the absence of the large blonde haired man.

"Tch, he already left. He loves to chat up and drink with those assholes, I couldn't care less. Anyway, I'm gonna have heat stroke in this coat. Are we leaving or not?"

"O-Oh, yeah, of course." Eren said, embarrassed at holding up his newfound idol. He walked forward and opened the door, holding it open. Levi nodded in acknowledgement and walked out.

"We gotta hurry, before I get snagged." Levi muttered, walking out towards the back door at a brisk pace. Eren, despite his height advantage, struggled to keep up. Levi opened the door and took a deep breath of cold air. He was suffocating in that stuffy room. Eren followed, shivering slightly and zipping his coat up further. He didn't prepare for extended weather exposure very well. Levi, who was already somewhat ahead, glanced back at him. "I was just planning on going for a walk. Coming?"

Eren nodded vigorously, moving to walk beside him. He looked around. It truly was a beautiful night. Snow was falling softly, the stars were out, and the moonlight hitting Levi's pale skin truly was a sight to behold. Eren shivered slightly and Levi glanced at him. "Cold?" He asked.

"I'm fine…" Eren mumbled into the collar of his jacket. Levi sighed and tugged his scarf from around his neck, handing it to him.

"Here. You forgot your scarf, dumbass," Levi said, zippering his jacket up further to make up for the loss of his scarf.

"O-Oh, no, it's yours- "

"Did I stutter? Take it." Levi left no room for argument. Eren flushed softly and smiled, wrapping the warm scarf around his neck. It smelled like him...

"Thank you." Eren looked at Levi with gratitude and warmth in his eyes.

"Anytime." Levi smirked. "It's a beautiful night. I've always liked winter."

"Me too. I love snow, I'd still play in it if it were socially acceptable," Eren admitted. Levi chuckled.

"Why don't you? Who gives a shit. Personally, snow annoys me. It's pretty when it falls, but then who's got to shovel it? Erwin's too damn lazy, so he makes me do it." Eren giggled sympathetically. "The hot chocolate loving fuck," Levi muttered spitefully. Eren's eyes widened briefly, making sure he heard right. In an effort to stifle a laugh he snorted, and failing miserably, burst out into laughter. Why it was so funny he didn't know, but Levi's tone of voice and disgruntled expression was the icing on the cake of humor. His laughter quickly turned to giggles, slowing to a stop. When he opened his eyes, expecting to see the same disgruntled expression, he was instead met with the violinist looking at him, eyes wide, with something like… amazement? Eren immediately straightened his face, looking at him in concern.

"Heh… What?" Eren asked, somewhat self-consciously. He rubbed behind his neck as per his nervous habit, a slight flush rising in his cheeks. Levi's lips were slightly parted, and did Eren spot a tinge of red on his face? It was probably just the cold.

Levi was staring at Eren in awe. "You're, um..." He started, without really thinking about it. The moonlight cascading down Eren's skin, small snowflakes settling themselves in his hair, and his eyes… Eren's eyes seemed to light up when he laughed. How had he not noticed that before? Eren flushed, his eyes flitting away, and he knew it was definitely not from the cold.

"I'm, um… what?" He mumbled, curiosity overwhelming caution.

"Oh, I'm sorry, did I say something?" Levi's smirk grew, as he watched Eren squirm in social discomfort.

"Yes! I mean, I thought you did-"

"I said," Levi cut him off, "you're beautiful." What was with him tonight? This felt like it was moving a little fast… Wait, _what_ was moving too fast? There's nothing here! He was just being honest, after all. No one could deny Eren's aesthetic appeal.

Eren looked at him like he was slapped across the face. In a good way. "I'm, um… what?" He said stupidly, disbelieving of what he heard.

"You're beautiful." Levi repeated simply. "From an artistic way, I mean," he added quickly. "The light hit you for a second there, with the snow and everything, looked like it belonged on a Christmas card."

Eren's face was certainly redder than Rudolph's nose, speaking of Christmas. "Uh- thanks, you too-" he said, before he cut himself off and cursed inwardly. "I-I'm sorry, I didn't mean it like that, well-"

"Hey, hey, relax. You look like your face will literally set on fire." Levi smiled gently at him, watching Eren look down towards the ground in embarrassment. The way his hair gently brushed in front of his face, with those long lashes framing those bright eyes…

Levi couldn't help it. He leaned up and whispered in Eren's ear, "Well, whether you meant it or not, I certainly did." He heard Eren's small intake of breath, and he moved away, satisfaction written in his features. "Hold on, I want to do something." Levi took out his phone, and opening it, went to his contacts. Eren saw his name on the screen out of the corner of his eye, and glanced over. He saw Levi change his name to "Bright Eyes." He smiled to himself, hidden by the scarf, his chest suddenly becoming a lot warmer. Levi smiled too, just content with looking at Eren for a moment. He could swear he's seen his face… or heard his name, somewhere…

Eren couldn't keep up. How did he get swirled into this weird mix of crushes? Was this all part of some weird master plan that Hanji had? Who the hell knew.

The two walked in companionable silence for a while, tossing friendly banter back and forth occasionally. Levi noted how Eren's eyes kept glancing at him every so often, and he couldn't help but note how his did the same. It has been a very long time since Levi had been able to… what is it,… connect with anyone. His cold persona seemed to pull people away. But for some reason, that didn't bother Eren, if anything, his sarcasm seemed to fluster him even more. Levi had been lonely for a very long time. It was time he gave it a chance.

"Ah, shit," Eren cursed, as his phone fell into the snow.

"Tch, watch your phone, idiot," Levi said, nudging Eren's hip with his knee as Eren bent down to pick it up. He was about to make another smart-ass remark until he was met with a mouthful of snow, accompanied by Eren's cackles.

"Hah! Got you!" Eren laughed. Levi's face was frozen, snow falling from his face in the most dumbstruck expression. Eren snickered. "What's wrong, never had a snowball thrown at you before?" He teased, before Levi's eyes went dark.

"I am going to put you in so much agony, Jaeger…" he muttered darkly, and Eren gulped.

"L-Levi… OOMF-" He said a very thorough hello to a snowball hitting his face, and he could practically feel Levi's smirk. He wiped it off, pouting.

"At least give me a warning, first," he whined, brushing snow out of his hair.

"You didn't give me one!" Levi defended, crossing his arms, but his tone was playful.

"I didn't _mean_ to hit your face, you're just so short I couldn't avoid i-" Eren couldn't get the last word out, Levi already had a snowball in hand, aimed at his face.

"You really wanna finish that sentence, kid?" Levi threatened, smirking deviously. Eren went cross-eyed keeping the snowball in view and Levi snickered. "That's what I thought." He tossed the snowball to the ground, turning around to keep walking before a snowball hit him in the back of his head, and Levi froze, nearly letting out a screech at the cold water now slipping under his shirt and down his back. Levi's eyes once again went dark and Eren only had time to say one word before getting demolished.

" _Fuck-"_

Half an hour later, both shivering, panting, and laughing like kids, they wound up at a nearby café as Levi bought them both hot chocolate, which Eren blushingly accepted. Eren hummed contentedly as the hot liquid cascaded down his throat and brought a warm stomach to accompany his warm heart. They walked and talked for another hour easily, before Levi's phone was blowing up to a point where he couldn't ignore it from messages from Erwin.

"Shit," Levi cursed softly.

"Hm?" Eren said, glancing at him.

"Fucking Erwin…" Levi said. "It looks like I'll have to go." Levi pressed his phone in his pocket.

"Oh. Okay, I guess we did stay out a little long." Eren said, trying to hide his disappointment.

"Yeah… so… I'll see you later?" Levi didn't mean for it to sound like he was asking, but whatever.

"Yeah. I'd like that." Eren said softly and smiled.

"So… Um… I'll see you, then." Levi said, taking a step forward and pressing a very brief chaste kiss to his cheek. He only had time to hear Eren's brief gasp before hurrying off.

Eren touched his fingers to his cheek in shock, an unstoppable grin working its way onto his face and he walked off back towards his car in silent contentment.


End file.
